With the introduction of Princess Ilana Rostovic in James Gunn’sDC Universe, Maria Bakalova reveals key details about herCreature Commandoscharacter. With Gunn’s DC Universe underway,Creature Commandosis not only exploring some of the more obscure characters in the DC canon, but introducing original players into the fold. One of the new creations intheCreature Commandoscastis Princess Ilana, serving as an important figure in the season’s arc.
ScreenRantrecently caught up with Bakalova to promoteCreature Commandos,where the actress was asked to clarify an important aspect of her character. Since there has been some uncertainty about how old Princess Ilana is meant to be, Bakalova set the record straight as she revealed the following about herCreature Commandoscharacter:
Yeah. I haven’t really spoken about this directly, but I got the call from James [when he was] writing this character, thinking about me playing this character, which means that[she] probably is going to be around my age, late 20s, 27-28, a little bit before 30. So she gets to [have the] innocence of, ‘Okay, I’m still young, but I’m an adult, so all of my choices are conscious choices I’m doing - to do something with them.’
What Princess Ilana’s Age Means For Creature Commandos
With Bakalova’s confirmation that Princess Ilana is essentially the same, or close to, her own age, it puts the final nail in the coffin for an ongoingCreature Commandosdebate. Ever since the show introduced a fling between her and Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo), some viewers speculated about whether Princess Ilana is supposed to be an adult or if she is still a teenager. Some thought that Ilana may be under the age of 18, which caused concern among those audience members thatCreature Commandosdepicted an inappropriate relationship.
However, Bakalova’s comments confirm there was never any intention for Princess Ilana to be anything but a grown woman. This further confirms that, while there’s an age gap between Ilana and Flag, who’s in his 40s-50s, she’s an adult who is capable of making her own decisions. Thankfully, with Bakalova clarifying Princess Ilana’s age, any viewer who was worried about a potentially controversial depiction between Flag and the princess can rest easy.
Our Take On Princess Ilana’s Age Being Confirmed
While it isn’t shocking that Princess Ilana is supposed to be close to Bakalova’s actual age,it’s good to hear theCreature Commandosactress confirm it while also revealing the depths of her conversations with Gunn about boarding the project. The bigger and more important question about Princess Ilana is how she factors into the rest oftheCreature Commandosstorythroughout the remaining episodes. With four episodes left ofCreature Commandos, viewers will know sooner rather than later what is in store for Princess Ilana.
Creature Commandos
Cast
Creature Commandos follows the exploits of a secret team of incarcerated monsters recruited for perilous missions unsuitable for humans. Released in December 2024, the film explores themes of redemption and collaboration as the monstrous squad is tasked with handling threats that present dire challenges beyond human capability.
