DC Universe Confirms Another James Gunn Character Is Canon, But Recasts Legendary Actor To Do So

Warning! This article contains spoilers for the Creature Commandos season 1 finale.

Creature Commandos has established the foundations for the DCU, and canonized some of the characters from James Gunn's previous projects, and the finale does this yet again. While Gunn's Superman movie will mark the beginning of the DCU in terms of a theatrical release, Creature Commandos beat the Man of Steel to the premiere spot on the slate. And, since Gunn is intent on making the entire DCU, including animation, TV shows, films, and even games, into one connected universe, the events of one have a knock-on effect on the others.

In general, this makes sense for the newly rebooted universe, creating one continuous narrative, with clearly defined boundaries such as the DC Elseworlds projects to distinguish what is canonical. However, despite the fresh start to the universe, Gunn's own body of work for DC creates some confusion. Mainly because Gunn has stated that when a thing is referenced in the DCU, from the DCEU, it becomes canon. This has already impacted characters like Amanda Waller, her team, Peacemaker, and The Suicide Squad, but the season 1 finale introduced yet another character from the dead superhero universe.

Creature Commandos Confirms Another Character From The Suicide Squad Is DCU Canon

There Is A New Lineup For The Creature Commandos

After the terrible events of Pokolistan, and the loss of yet another team member when Nina Mazursky tried to assassinate Princess Ilana and had the knife turned back on her, the Bride returns to the prison where Waller previously had her and the rest of the monsters from Task Force M held. However, Waller is clearly pleased with the Bride's work, having unraveled the mystery of Circe's prophecy and killing Princess Ilana despite the crossed communications, and so she has renovated the space for the Bride and the rest of her team.

However, there are some new faces, and some notable returning characters, including G.I. Robot, who exploded earlier in the season. But beyond that, a familiar face from The Suicide Squad, King Shark, is also present in the newly upgraded headquarters. This points to the Bride officially being made the leader of the Creature Commandos, and her team has been expanded to include several new monsters on her roster ahead of whatever mission is set to come next.

The DCU Recast Sylvester Stallone As King Shark For Creature Commandos

A New King Shark Makes His DCU Debut

However, there is another point of contention that comes up since King Shark was introduced in this way, and makes an audible sound upon his first appearance. In The Suicide Squad, King Shark is voiced by Sylvester Stallone. Yes, there is a lot of adjusting the voice in order to make it into a monstrous gravelly tone, but the actor behind the voice is undoubtedly Stallone's in the movie. But the credits for the Creature Commandos list a new actor in the role, with popular voice actor Diedrich Bader cast instead.

It's worth mentioning that Sgt. Rock appeared in an earlier episode of Creature Commandos voiced by Maury Sterling, before rumors spread that Daniel Craig was cast in a live-action film as the same character. It's possible A-list actors are being cast in live-action roles, but not smaller animated cameos for the DCU.

Bader has had a lengthy history with voice acting, and landed several roles in DC projects where he played Batman, Harvey Dent, and Gorilla Grodd to name a few. Bader's extensive voice acting career likely meant he was a solid choice to deliver such a small cameo, which could leave room for Stallone to return, but it may mean that he is finished with the character. Stallone is a huge star who likely has a high price tag to appear in such roles, and it may not have been worth his time or Creature Commandos' to cast him in the minor voice acting role.

Will Sylvester Stallone Return As King Shark In Creature Commandos Season 2?

Creature Commandos Season 2 Will See The Heroes Embark On New Adventures

Now that King Shark has been confirmed to be a part of the Creature Commandos team, it appears highly probable that King Shark will be back for season 2, as well as in other parts in the DCU. And while it would be interesting to see Stallone reprise the role, it is not one that necessarily stands out, considering Stallone only lends his voice to the character. On top of that, while Diedrich Bader may not be as big a star as Stallone, he is a highly respected actor who has produced many great projects.

With all of that in mind, it appears that the recast is likely permanent, and Bader will be responsible for playing King Shark from here on out. Stallone will continue to have a thriving career without this minor role, and Bader will impart his classic charm and wit to the part in a way that will likely make the character even more lovable. However, anything is possible in the DCU, with Creature Commandos paving the way for plenty more to unfold over the coming months and years.