On this week’s episode of Creature Commandos, frequent James Gunn collaborator Michael Rooker shows up in the role of Sam Fitzgibbon. If that last name sounds familiar? Well, it probably doesn’t. But it is shared by not one, but two other characters from previous properties tied to the DCU. And in fact, it’s a deep cut James Gunn Easter egg… Not any sort of secret connection in the burgeoning DCU (unless it is).
The first time a Fitzgibbon showed up was in The Suicide Squad, where Doctor Fitzgibbon was played by none other than Suicide Squad writer John Ostrander. It’s a bit part, but nice that Gunn paid tribute to a man so influential to the comics that spawned the movie. Doctor Fitzgibbon is the main doctor at Belle Reeve, and directly responsible for the health of Amanda Waller’s (Viola Davis) prisoners.
The second time a Fitzgibbon showed up? Peacemaker Season 1, where actor Lochlyn Munro played Larry Fitzgibbon, a member of the Evergreen Police Department. Spoilers here, but Larry was possessed by the alien butterflies central to the show’s plot, then killed by Vigilante (Freddie Stroma).
Both The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker are, at this point, canon to the DCU — or at least most of the events are. And now we have a third DCU Fitzgibbon as of Creature Commandos Episode 3, “Cheers to the Tin Man.” In the episode, G.I. Robot (Sean Gunn) is purchased by a war memorabilia collector named Sam Fitzgibbon, who at first seems very nice. But by episode’s end it turns out he’s part of a white supremacist organization, and is killed by G.I. Robot, whose sole purpose in life is to kill Nazis.
So of the DCU Fitzgibbons, only Ostrander is currently alive. Or at least, not dead. So are they all related? Is this one big extended family?
Well… Maybe. Gunn could also establish a Fitzgibbon family tree at some point. But in actuality, Gunn puts the name Fitzgibbon in all of his projects. Gunn explained as much on Instagram back in 2016, on the real Fitzgibbon’s birthday.
Said Gunn, “My oldest friend in the world is Larry Fitzgibbon. We were raised next to each other in the suburbs of Manchester, Missouri, caused extraordinary amounts of trouble together in our teens, and moved out to California at almost exactly the same time. He’s the reason there’s a ‘Fitzgibbon’ in nearly every movie I’ve made (except Dawn of the Dead where the character was cut), and is a brother to me in every way but genetics.”
So there you go! Doctor Fitzgibbon, Larry Fitzgibbon, and Sam Fitzgibbon are likely not all related… They’re all tributes to the real life Larry Fitzgibbon, whose birthday is on February 28. Happy advance birthday, Larry! Hope you like the white supremacist cartoon your friend got you!
Where To Watch Creature Commandos:
Creature Commandos Premiere Dates And Episode Guide:
The first two episodes of Creature Commandos premiere Thursday, December 5 at 3 am ET / Midnight PT on Max. One episode a week premieres after that, leading to the season finale on January 9, 2025.
Here’s the full list of episodes in Creature Commandos, with premiere dates:
- Thursday, December 5, 2024: Creature Commandos, Episode 1: “The Collywobbles”
- Thursday, December 5, 2024: Creature Commandos, Episode 2: “The Tourmaline Necklace”
- Thursday, December 12, 2024: Creature Commandos, Episode 3: “Cheers To The Tin Man”
- Thursday, December 19, 2024: Creature Commandos, Episode 4: “Chasing Squirrels”
- Thursday, December 26, 2024: Creature Commandos, Episode 5
- Thursday, January 2, 2025: Creature Commandos, Episode 6
- Thursday, January 9, 2025: Creature Commandos, Episode 7
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