Batman and Robin won’t make their debut in the new DC Universe until The Brave and the Bold, but the dynamic duo are already filling out their rogues’ gallery. DC Studios dropped the new Creature Commandos trailer during its New York Comic Con panel on Saturday, and in it, fans got their first look at the shape-shifting mud-monster Clayface in the DCU. The footage also revealed a glimpse of a second Batman villain: Gotham City crime boss Rupert Thorne, who is tied to the origin of another member of Batman’s rogue’s gallery, the radioactive Dr. Phosphorus (voiced by Alan Tudyk).
DC Studios co-chief James Gunn announced that Benjamin Byron Davis will be voicing Rupert Thorne in Creature Commandos, the seven-episode Max Original adult animated series written and executive produced by Gunn. The actor, who is best known for his role as the gang leader Dutch van der Linde in the Red Dead Redemption video games, also appeared in Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and the Gunn-produced The Miracle of Phil and The Belko Experiment.
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Davis joins just-announced cast members Peter Serafinowicz (Guardians of the Galaxy), Michael Rooker (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2), and Linda Cardellini (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3) in undisclosed roles. Creature Commandos is the first series set in the new DCU that will continue with Gunn’s live-action Superman movie in 2025.
Thorne first appeared alongside the atomic-powered supervillain in 1977’s Detective Comics #469, which introduced the character as corrupt city council chairman Boss Rupert Thorne — one of the most powerful men in Gotham City. Dr. Phosphorus’ origin story revealed he was once Dr. Alex Sartorius, who was convinced to sink his life savings into Thorne’s power plant and was turned into living phosphorus when he was exposed to the reactor core’s radioactive sand.
Blaming the council for his transformation, he irradiated the Gotham reservoir, and Batman felt Dr. Phosphorus’ burning touch for the first time when the Dark Knight tracked down the combustible culprit who poisoned the city’s water supply. After a run for Mayor of Gotham City, Thorne is imprisoned in Blackgate Penitentiary when Batman saves him from a vengeful Dr. Phosphorus.
Andy Muschietti (The Flash) is attached to direct The Brave and the Bold, described as an “unusual father-son story inspired by Grant Morrison’s comic series” that introduced the Damian Wayne Robin as the son of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul. The movie, which is separate from The Batman film saga starring Robert Pattinson as the Dark Knight, is also set to include other members of the extended Bat-family.
DC Studios’ Creature Commandos — featuring the voices of Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr., Zoe Chao as Nina Mazursky, Indira Varma as The Bride, David Harbour as Frankenstein, Tudyk as Dr. Phosphorus, and Sean Gunn as Weasel and GI Robot — is streaming December 5 on Max.
