Actor Sean Gunn, brother of DC Studios co-head James Gunn, has quite a formidable resume. He first became known for his role on Gilmore Girls in the 2000s. MCU fans, of course, know him for playing the Ravager Kraglin in Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, where he also performed motion reference as the on-set Rocket Raccoon. He also joined another one of his brother’s productions, The Suicide Squad, as the half-man/half-animal Weasel. This is a role he’s reprising for the animated DC Comics adaptation, Creature Commandos. In addition, he’s also playing the Nazi-hating WWII soldier G.I. Robot on the show. We had a chat with Gunn about playing two roles in the series, his working relationship with his brother James, and much more.
Nerdist: So having seen the first five episodes of Creature Commandos, I think G.I. Robot is going to be the breakout star. If only because I feel it’s culturally needed to hear someone openly hating Nazis this much right now. But you somehow make this killer robot seem earnest and sweet too. What was your main inspiration for how to play this guy?
Sean Gunn: I’m always aware that when I play any character, they have to live inside me somewhere. I don’t want to stretch too far away from what feels natural. I didn’t want to make them sound too mechanical, but I was trying to think of how they would program a robot voice at that time. So I listened to some old newsreels, some of the old “News on the March” newsreel things, and tried to find a voice in there. And I ran it by James, and he really liked it. And then we worked on it in the booth as we went along, but it just felt right. I really like this character. It’s very interesting to have a robot with just a spark of humanity trying to break out of him, and he isn’t just 100% metal. And I just really love that.
You also reprise the role of Weasel from The Suicide Squad for Creature Commandos. I wasn’t sure what I was going to ask you about playing a character that doesn’t really talk, but then I saw the episodes. You have to convey all these serious emotions in some heavy episodes without words, just animal noises. What was that like?
You know, in The Suicide Squad, Weasel is really just kind of comic relief. And he shows up, and he’s a goofball. And I keep meeting fans who say, “I love Weasel! He’s so hilarious and so crazy!” And I said, “Just wait till you see Creature Commandos, because you’re going to see something new.” [With a role,] you have the tools that you’re able to work with to get to where you need to go. With Weasel, I just kind of have fewer tools. I only have my grunts, and my squawks, and my squeals. All of those kinds of things. But still trying to deliver an emotional performance through all that.
James always described Weasel to me as kind of like a big dog. And if you know anyone who has a dog, you know that a dog experiences a whole range of emotions. They get happy. They get sad. And they get frustrated, they get angry, they get all of those things. So I still have all of those emotions at my disposal when playing Weasel. I’m trying to navigate what Weasel is feeling all the time. It is some of the most challenging acting work that I think I’ve ever done in my career.
If there was one other role on Creature Commandos that you would like a crack at, which one would it be?
The reason that’s a hard question is because of how good the other actors are. I would have loved to crack at Eric Frankenstein, but after seeing the show I wouldn’t want to hear anybody other than David Harbour do it. His performance is fantastic. And I kind of think it’s true of everybody in the cast.
I know you probably can’t say much yet, but you’re playing Maxwell Lord in Superman. Others have played this character a couple of times before in movies and TV, but none have ever really been accurate to his comic book portrayal. Are you looking to the old Justice League International comics for inspiration for Max at all?
I think you’d have to direct that question to my brother. I can tell you that I can’t tell you. James pointed me toward the source material that he felt was relevant to the character. And I read that. I’m not comfortable sharing what it is, though. I love playing Maxwell Lord, man, he’s a very fun character. I’m honored to get a crack at it, and I hope people are into it.
Is there any chance we’ll see you in Peacemaker season two as well?
Is there a chance? I would say yes, there’s a chance.
I know you’ve got three roles in the DCU now, but what are your thoughts on ever playing Kraglin from Guardians of the Galaxy again in the MCU? Do you think he’s got a future still?
I honestly have no idea. I hate to give a wishy-washy answer to that. I’m not hiding anything, but I don’t know if I would say yes, there’s a chance. I don’t know if Marvel Studios has an interest in having me back. And so, until I know the answer to that question, I can’t really comment on whether I would go back. But you know, anytime Marvel calls me, I answer the phone. I would absolutely not close the door on it. But right now, it’s all a little up in the air.
Have you heard any early feedback from people who have seen Creature Commandos already?
It’s been extremely positive. James told me privately that he was very surprised, that he thought it might be his favorite thing he’s ever done of all the stuff that he’s worked on. And then he said that publicly on the panel at New York Comic-Con, and I think I might be right there with him. I mean, I thought that when I read the scripts. Sometimes James pitches things to me like, “Oh, this thing. It’s going to be hilarious.” And just this weird little kind of side project. And then I read the scripts, and I told my wife “This is really special. It’s really, really extraordinary.” And I just think that the animation team and the directors, the way they put it together, it’s like they delivered the goods on every part of it.
Creature Commandos arrives on Max on December 5.
