James Gunn's greatest strength in making comic book movies must be his ability to translate his love of unknown characters to the screen. He sees something in them that many others don't and makes the creative changes necessary to make them pop. The Guardians of the Galaxy had their fans before, but they're worldwide sensations now. Can he pull off the same trick again with DC's Creature Commandos?
James Gunn has taken over DC's cinematic efforts after the drawn-out failure of the original DCEU. His influence has already been felt in The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker, where he pulled the same D-list to A-list magic trick again. At least a couple of members of his Suicide Squad were well-known. Creature Commandos might seem like more of an uphill battle.
No one knew who the Guardians were before James Gunn
On July 20, 2011, Capcom announced an updated version of their well-received fighting game, Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds. This was and is standard practice in the genre, but Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 got some negative press upon its announcement. The game promised balancing updates, fixes for online features, new modes, stages, and, above all else, new playable characters. Some, including noted game critic Angry Joe, felt slighted by the barebones additions for a full console release. The new fighters bore the brunt of the assault, as several of the listed names were less than iconic. Perhaps the most frequently mocked new entry to the roster was a one-of-a-kind creature named Rocket Raccoon. People were incensed to see him make the list. Some wrote articles to explain the character to fans. No one predicted the guy who had just put out Super would turn Rocket into one of the most beloved cinematic characters of the decade.
The Guardians of the Galaxy that appear in their big-screen debut originated in Marvel Comics around 2008. Each member was created in the 60s or 70s for their own purposes, but they didn't find their stride until they worked together. Adam Warlock may have been the best-known member before they got together, and he's always been seen as a B-lister. Groot was a minor monster who fought the Hulk and joined the Howling Commandos. Rocket enjoyed a four-part miniseries in the 80s, then barely appeared for the following two decades. Star-Lord featured sporadically in comics like Marvel Premiere after courting legal action from Robert Heinlein. Drax's appearances in comics were all over the place before they figured out his current presentation. Gamora disappeared between the 70s and the 90s, but her adoptive father, Thanos, kept her around for crossover events. The 2008 team-up didn't set the world on fire. It was the 61st best-selling comic at the time. With the help of co-writer Nicole Perlman and the excellent cast, James Gunn dredged the Guardians out of obscurity.
James Gunn can make the Creature Commandos mainstream
Like the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Creature Commandos are almost unknown. They originated in the Weird War Tales series in the 80s. They're a team of Universal monsters designed or empowered by a shady US government organization to combat the secretive efforts of the Nazis. Most members have trouble being discovered because they're based on something more iconic than they'll ever be. Frankenstein's Monster, his wife, a robot soldier, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, a vampire, a mummy, and more classic monsters join and regularly leave the team. It's a simple idea with a lot of appeal to a specific audience. It's the perfect concept for James Gunn to bring to a wide audience.
James Gunn hasn't done a World War II film or TV show yet. It's a new setting with a lot less room to experiment than the depths of space. The trade-off is that the stakes, threats, and locations are handled in advance. People know what to expect from a kitschy, off-kilter World War II story. All that is left for James Gunn to figure out is compelling action scenes and likable characters. This is what James Gunn does with every project. He turns nobodies into immediately identifiable and lovable icons. He'll have viewers applauding Doctor Phosphorous and G.I. Robot by episode two.
Guardians of the Galaxy was a much tougher challenge than Creature Commandos. It's less experimental, even as it dredges up lesser-known characters. No one may know anything about Eric Frankenstein, but everyone knows the monster he's based on. James Gunn has demonstrated his skill with D-list characters time and time again. Each new team is a new chance to make icons out of nobodies. He even altered the roster to slide new faces into the mix and add to the already unique selection. If Creature Commandos doesn't work out, it won't be because James Gunn can't pull the Guardians trick off again.