Summary
- Creature Commandos season 2 confirmed before finale, teases expanded roster including Nosferata and Khalis.
- Return of King Shark with Diedrich Bader replacing Stallone after Gunn’s collaboration.
- Creature Commandos introduces a diverse lineup of monsters, pitching them against extraordinary threats.
James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DCU is off to a flying start, and while it might’ve seemed like an unconventional place to start, Creature Commandos marks a new chapter in the history of expanded superhero universes. Giving fans a kooky cast of monsters that makes the Suicide Squad look normal, Creature Commandos added some new members to its lineup in the season finale.
Creature Commandos was already confirmed for season 2 before the finale even aired, but in January 9’s “A Very Funny Monster”, Gunn put the pieces in place for what comes next. There was plenty of heartache in the season finale, with Creature Commandos sadly waving goodbye to the underrated Nina Mzursky (Zoë Chao). Although the finale also killed off Princess Ilana Rostovic (Maria Bakalova) to reduce the cast numbers even further, episode 7 teased an expanded roster of ‘creatures’ for Creature Commandos season 2.
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Who are Creature Commandos’ Nosferata and Khalis?
With the Bride (Indira Varma) helping save the world from Princess Rostovic’s villainous intentions in the Creature Commandos finale, she was rewarded when Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) turned a disused wing of the Belle Reve prison into the improved Non-Human Interment Division. This is the new home of the Bride, Weasel (Sean Gunn) and Doctor Phosphorus (Alan Tudyk), but heading into season 2, it looks like they’ll be joined by Nosferata and Khalis.
When the Creature Commandos were first introduced to DC Comics in 1980’s Weird War Tales #93, the original roster included the human Lt. Matthew Shrieve, the first G.I. Robot, a werewolf called Warren Griffith, the vampiric Sgt. Vincent Velcro, the Frankenstein’s monster-inspired Pvt. Elliot “Lucky” Taylor, and a gorgon called Dr. Myrra Rhodes. Creature Commandos season 2 looks like it’ll be getting closer to this iteration thanks to the return of G.I. Robot and introduction of Nosferata the vampire. The modern Creature Commandos also included a communications specialist mummy called Aten, which is reflected in season 1 teasing Khalis the mummy.
Nosferata appeared earlier in the season when she bullied Nina alongside Congorilla – with the latter being brutally murdered by the Bride. She returned in episode 7 and looks like she’ll be recruited to the Bride’s expanding team in season 2. First appearing in 1998’s Superboy Vol 4 #50, Nosferata hoped to take over the Wild Lands with her vampiric powers. She’s one of the many creatures that evolved from Project Moreau in the 1940s, and like she was seen allied with Congorilla in Creature Commandos, she was known for teaming up with Killa the gorilla in the comics. As her debut issue suggests, she’s known as an enemy of Superboy. There’s no sign of Superboy yet in the DCU, but with Gunn’s Superman on the way in 2025 and Supergirl: World of Tomorrow coming in 2026, the Super Family is set to grow.
There have been multiple versions of Khalis in DC comics, with the first being a priest known as Hetepkheti Tefnakhte in the year 2030 B.C. The original Khalis was considered an enemy of Doctor Fate, and although Pierce Brosnan played that character in Black Adam, he isn’t expected to be one of the increasing number of actors who are making the leap from the DCEU to the DCU. Creature Commandos is more likely going with Khalis II who was introduced for 2011’s Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #1. Similar to the Creature Commandos, the Agents of S.H.A.D.E. are a unit of supernatural heroes. Khalis II eventually served as a medic alongside The New 52 team that notably featured the DCU’s already established Frankenstein and Nina Mazursky.
Creature Commandos Also Brings Back King Shark
Aside from Nosferata and Khalis, the big one is the return of King Shark. After missing out on David Ayer’s Suicide Squad in 2016, Gunn famously cast Sylvester Stallone as King Shark in 2021’s The Suicide Squad. Even though the movie featured the return of Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag, Davis’ Amanda Waller, and (briefly) Jai Courtney’s Captain Boomerang, it largely started from scratch with a new team of antiheroes. Stallone was praised for his performance, with the comedic King Shark quickly becoming a standout.
King Shark was given something of a happy ending after surviving the Battle of Valle Del Mar and being granted his freedom when Bloodsport (Idris Elba) bribed Waller into releasing them. It’s unclear what brings King Shark back to Belle Reve, but like Creature Commandos season 1 dedicated an episode to each member, King Shark’s story could be fleshed out in season 2. Confirming King Shark for the revamped roster of season 2, Gunn told Rotten Tomatoes TV:
“Nosferata, King Shark, who we’ve met in Suicide Squad, so it’s basically that King Shark…new, improved G.I. Robot, he’s not dead after all. He’s a robot. Then Khalis. So we got a mummy happening. I’m pretty interested in how we do a mummy. I’ve never been a big mummy guy. I’m a werewolf guy if I’m being honest with you.”
Despite Gunn working with Stallone on the Guardians of the Galaxy movies and the Rocky star tipped to return as King Shark at some point, Gunn has confirmed he’s been replaced with Diedrich Bader. Discussing the recast with Rotten Tomatoes, Gunn explained:
“I thought he was great. He’s a great guy, and he came in and just did us a solid to come in here and do King Shark’s voice. You know it’s hard because you’re dealing with Sylvester Stallone’s iconic interpretation of King Shark, so Diedrach did an amazing job. He’s an amazing guy and an amazing voice actor.”
There could be a long wait until the Creature Commandos return, and although Frank Grillo is confirmed to play Rick Flag Sr. in live-action for Superman, there’s no word on the rest of the cast reprising their roles in live-action. As well as Superman, Gunn is heavily involved in Peacemaker season 2. Considering Christopher Smith/Peacemaker has ties to the Creature Commandos-adjacent Suicide Squad, and remembering Davis appeared as Waller in Peacemaker season 1, Creature Commandos fans are holding out hope that the rag-tag team of misfits will at least be acknowledged in Peacemaker season 2. For now, the Creature Commandos remain firmly locked up in the Non-Human Interment Division.
