Even though Creature Commandos references past DC projects such as Peacemaker and The Suicide Squad, the animated series is the first official chapter of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DCU franchise. That means the quirky story about monstrous soldiers is filled to the brim with Easter eggs and references to the bigger DC Universe, teasing how projects such as Luca Guadagnino’s Sgt. Rock movie might fit into the timeline. This week, though, Creature Commandos Episode 4 featured its most meaningful cameos yet, as the series confirmed who the DCU’s likely members of the Justice League are.
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Let’s just say: we were not expecting some of them to pop up!
WARNING: CREATURE COMMANDOS EPISODE 4 SPOILERS!
At the start of the season, the Creature Commandos are sent to Pokolistan to protect Princess Illana Rostovic (voiced by Maria Bakalova) from Circe (voiced by Anya Chalotra). As Pokolistan is a critical ally to the United States due to its oil reserves, Amanda Waller (voiced by Viola Davis) feels she needs to send a black ops squad to solve the issue. However, Episode 4 pulls the rug out from under the audience’s feet by revealing that Circe is trying to save the world, and Illana is the true villain.
Circe’s powers to see the future cursed her with a terrible vision of Illana taking control of the planet, an omen she shares with Waller to make her understand what’s at stake. According to Circe’s vision, Illana will join forces with Gorilla Grodd and use her armored army to lay waste to the world’s free nations. In this apocalyptic future, bombs rain in America, with the survivor population being shot down in mass graves. As for the Justice League, Earth’s protectors, the heroes are impaled and crucified in a burning field.
The future Circe has seen shows how the heroes of Earth are led by DC’s classic triad: Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. That’s not a surprise, considering the DCU’s current lineup. Next year, Superman hits theaters featuring David Corenswet as the Man of Steel. Meanwhile, Batman: The Brave and the Bold is being developed by DC Studios as the first movie of the Dark Knight set in the new cinematic universe. Finally, the existence of Wonder Woman had already been teased by the Paradise Lost series, which takes place in Themyscira.
What’s more surprising about Circe’s visions is that DC’s triad is joined by various heroes. Some are not your average Justice League material, while others are fan favorites who were still unannounced as part of the DCU.
[Related: James Gunn Reveals DCU’s Most Popular Cartoon Character (Blink and You’ll Miss Him)]
Who Are the Impaled Superheroes in Circe’s Vision?
In addition to Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman, Circe’s vision shows the corpses of Supergirl and Hawkgirl. Both heroines are set to make their debut in Superman. So far, we had no information about what role Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl would play in Superman, but her presence in Circe’s vision teases she will become a key player in the DCU. As for Supergirl, it’s no surprise she joined her cousin in the massacre, as Milly Alcock not only appears in Superman as Kara Zor-El, but she’s also getting her own solo movie, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi), who’s also debuting in Superman, also met his ultimate fate at Circe’s hands.
Weirder additions to the roster of dead heroes are Peacemaker and Vigilante, respectively played by John Cena and Freddie Stroma in Peacemaker and set to return in Season 2. Due to the violent methods of these antiheroes, they’ve been working in the shadows for Waller. Yet, since Season 2 of Peacemaker follows the events of Superman, these two corners of the DCU might be tied closer together. Circe’s vision confirms these suspicions, showing how Peacemaker and Vigilante join the Justice League in their fight against Grodd if Illana gets what she is after.
The other impaled heroes in Circe’s vision are more challenging to identify, as they are shown as blurred images for fractions of seconds. Still, there are some pretty recognizable designs in the mix. For starters, it looks like Robin is one of the dead heroes, which tracks to Damian Wayne’s debut in The Brave and the Bold. Starfire also seems to be on the burning fields, which means she’ll probably be one of the Teen Titans’ members in the DCU’s upcoming movie about the team.
We are also fairly certain we spotted Aquaman and Martian Manhunter among the impaled heroes. Both heroes are classic members of the Justice League and essential characters in DC canon. Still, they have so far been left out of the DCU’s announced projects. Their inclusion in the battlefield could be Gunn’s way to assure fans they will not be forgotten and will pop onto the silver screen sooner rather than later. Finally, we have a hero who’s likely Captain Atom, a radioactive metahuman who became popular after his appearance in the classic Justice League Unlimited animated series.
New episodes of Creature Commandos hit MAX every Thursday until January 9, 2025.
