Background James Gunn was hired in October 2018 to write and direct
The Suicide Squad (2021), Furthermore, Gunn considered
Nosferata and ape characters like
Congorilla, with both making
cameo appearances in the fourth episode and the former joining the team in the first
season finale. Each episode of the first season, with the exception of the first episode, centers on a different member of the team along with Eric Frankenstein, with the exception of Rick Flag Sr., similar to the series
Lost (2004–2010). In his
pitch for the series, Gunn described it as dark, "humorous but never goofy", and unsentimental, with adult and political themes. He was influenced by the
Universal Classic Monsters, manga series
Golgo 13 (1968–present), and 1960s
war films. The characterization of Frankenstein and the Bride took inspiration from
Mary Shelley's original
Frankenstein novel (1818) rather than
Boris Karloff's
Frankenstein film (1931). Grillo said the series was "hard R" with a "funny and filthy" tone, and "X-rated" sex scenes. Morales described it as a "macabre spin" on action ensembles such as the film
The Dirty Dozen (1967) and the series
The A-Team (1983–1987). Gunn compared the series to
The Suicide Squad and his
Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), noting that they are both focused on "outcasts and irregular types and weirdoes" but
Creature Commandos is less sentimental than
Guardians of the Galaxy due to the different moral allegiances of each team.
Casting and voice recording Gunn and Safran said
Viola Davis would reprise her role as Amanda Waller from
The Suicide Squad and
Peacemaker in the DCU, and she was confirmed to be voicing the character in
Creature Commandos with the series' announcement. Further casting was underway by then, with Gunn and Safran intending to hire actors who could voice the characters in the series and also portray them in live-action DCU projects, with Gunn assuring it's 100% to happen; actors performed on-camera
auditions instead of voice-over ones. Casting was almost complete by late February 2023. The cast was announced in April, with
Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr.;
Maria Bakalova as Princess Ilana Rostovic, an original character created for the series;
Zoë Chao as Nina Mazursky;
Alan Tudyk as Alex Sartorius / Doctor Phosphorus;
David Harbour as Eric Frankenstein;
Indira Varma as the Bride;
Sean Gunn as G.I. Robot in addition to returning as Weasel from
The Suicide Squad; and
Steve Agee reprising his role as
John Economos from
The Suicide Squad and
Peacemaker. James Gunn said Harbour was his first choice for Frankenstein, and some of the actors, including Grillo, were already planned for live-action appearances. Gunn had wanted to work with Grillo for a while and said he would "find something cool" for Grillo to do in the DCU, leading to his casting as Flag Sr. in multiple projects. Voice recording began by May 2023, and was completed by that August. Unlike most Hollywood projects where actor schedules do not align, the show's actors were able to record together mostly because the showrunners felt the energy between them had to feel real, with Varma and Chao or Grillo with Harbour and Bakalova recording together for example, "
fangirling" each other. Gunn served as the voice director for the main actors. In November 2023,
Anya Chalotra was reported to have been cast as
Circe, which Gunn confirmed in January 2024. In October 2024,
Michael Rooker,
Linda Cardellini,
Gregg Henry,
Peter Serafinowicz, and
Benjamin Byron Davis were revealed to have guest roles in the series, and the character
Clayface was revealed to be appearing. Rooker readily accepted the role as per custom due to always "making favours" to Gunn whenever he needs him, just like Cardellini, whom Gunn considers another one of his close friends. At that time, Davis was confirmed to be voicing
Rupert Thorne in the series. Tudyk stated the next month that he would reprise his role as Clayface from the
Harley Quinn (2019–present) animated series. When Gunn told Tudyk that he would be voicing the character again, Tudyk was already planning to ask if he could. Gunn revealed in late November that Tudyk was also voicing
Will Magnus in the series. In April 2026, journalist
Jeff Sneider reported that
Sydney Chandler—the daughter of the DCU's
Hal Jordan / Green Lantern actor
Kyle Chandler—had been cast in the second season to voice
Nosferata, who had joined the titular team at the end of the first season finale. This came after Chandler unsuccessfully auditioned for the role of
Maxima in the DCU film
Man of Tomorrow (2027).
Animation and design Production was underway by the end of January 2023. Gunn said animation was a way to "tell stories that are gigantic" without a large budget. Animation studio Bobbypills worked on the pre-production, whereas Studio IAM worked on the main production of the series. By February 2024, the initial
animatics had been finished and
picture locked. Gunn said "elaborate animated finals" were being worked on. The series adheres to Gunn's mandate for a cohesive approach to the DCU, so characters and locations can move between mediums and be familiar to audiences. The designers initially redesigned
Belle Reve prison to be a "beautiful gothic locale on top of a hill", but Gunn told them that it had to match the "dull, boring building" design seen in
The Suicide Squad. New locations, such as Frankenstein's mansion, feature designs closer to the original Belle Reve look. Despite this, Gunn stated in October 2024 that he was "not imposing any overall aesthetic" on the DCU and wanted each project to be "its own thing". Lorey said the series had an Eastern European style that was grounded but stylized, and different from
Harley Quinn. The sixth episode marks
Bruce Wayne / Batman's first appearance in the DCU, introducing him in a way that implies he is already an established hero like
Clark Kent / Superman without the need to retell his
origin story; the original idea involved showing more of Batman's design but Gunn didn't feel ready yet to commit to an official look before Batman's proper debut in the upcoming
The Brave and the Bold film, so he requested a silhouetted appearance instead.
Music In August 2024, Gunn revealed that
Kevin Kiner and
Clint Mansell were composing the score for the series. The pair previously scored the first season of
Peacemaker.
Creature Commandos theme song is a version of "
Moliendo Café" by Venezuelan artist
Hugo Blanco, performed by Romani band
Fanfare Ciocărlia. When developing the series, Gunn created a "musical mood-board" inspired by the works of
Gogol Bordello and
the Dresden Dolls. == Marketing ==