This week’s episode of Creature Commandos, “The Iron Pot,” is a bloody, violent spectacle as the title characters battle through the streets of Pokolistan. But in the midst of all this, writer James Gunn — or at least the animation company behind Creature Commandos — snuck in a sweet tribute to Gunn’s dear, departed dog, Dr. Wesley Von Spears.
Mild spoilers past this point, but the blink-and-you-miss-it tribute happens about two-thirds of the way through the episode, as The Bride (Indira Varma) holds on to one of the Pokolistan army’s rocket soldiers, and flies above the city. As they weave their way through the buildings, you can see an ad for cigars that includes the visage of the pup:
In case you can’t read the type given, it’s shown so quickly, and on an angle, it’s for “Tabacos Exquisitos.” Then there’s a picture of the dog dressed as a general, with his name (Dr. Wesley Von Spears) right below it, followed by some cut-off text that likely says some variation on “para personas me gusto,” aka “for people I like.”
Dr. Wesley Von Spears previously cameoed in multiple James Gunn productions, including 2004’s Lollilove, 2008’s PG Porn, and perhaps more professionally Guardians of the Galaxy as the hologram dog, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as a dog in the back of a pickup truck, and posthumously in 2021’s The Suicide Squad.
The dog even has his own IMDb page and a fan page on Facebook (that I believe is set up by Gunn). Sadly, Dr. Wesley Von Spears passed away in 2020 at age 16. But his spirit lives on through the sales of fine Pokolistan cigars.
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: “The Iron Pot”
- Thursday, January 2, 2025: Creature Commandos, Episode 6: “Priyatel Skelet”
- Thursday, January 9, 2025: Creature Commandos, Episode 7: “A Very Funny Monster”
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