James Gunn reveals ‘saddest thing’ filmmaker ‘ever’ wrote

James Gunn revealed that the origin story of the DC series Creature Commandos character Weasel is the “the saddest thing” the filmmaker ever wrote, and why.

Spoiler Alert for Season 1, Episode 4 of Creature Commandos, currently streaming on Max.

Gunn shed new light on Weasel, the misunderstood character first introduced in The Suicide Squad (2021).

Contrary to the accusations that landed Weasel in Belle Reve prison, Gunn always believed the character wasn’t responsible for killing 27 children.

“I didn’t know the specifics of it, but I always knew that it wasn’t fair,” Gunn explained.

Weasel’s haunting backstory unfolds in Episode 4 of Gunn’s animated DC series, titled Chasing Squirrels.

Written by Gunn, the episode dives into Weasel’s past as the team tackles a mission involving Princess Ilana Rostovic (voiced by Maria Bakalova).

Weasel’s story is told through flashbacks, beginning with his appearance near an elementary school during Thanksgiving break. Despite his gentle nature and playful interactions with the kids, an old man mistakes him for a threat and calls 911.

The tragedy spirals when the children, along with Weasel, enter the school’s basement.

Innocent play escalates into chaos: a bottle of booze and a box of matches ignite a fire.

As the old man fires at Weasel, a boiler explodes, killing the children and the man, leaving one girl alive.

Weasel’s desperate attempt to save the girl is thwarted by arriving police, who assume he caused the carnage. They incapacitate him as the school collapses, burying the girl alive.

Reflecting on the grim story, Gunn said, “I think I just wrote the saddest thing that I’ve ever written in my entire life.”

His brother, Sean Gunn, who plays and voices Weasel, noted, “James himself has a darkness, and there’s a darkness to a lot of his work.”