Creature Commandos: Nina Mazursky's Death Decision Explained by Zoë Chao (Exclusive)

Creature Commandos just wrapped up its first season with a tragic finale that marked the end of the road for a fan-favorite team member.

The finale saw the squad trying to fulfill their orders of killing Princess Ilana Rostovic. Zoe Chao’s Nina Mazursky is the lucky one pushed into action, but before she can pull it off, Weasel causes a distraction that alerts the Princess.

Following a struggle between her and Nina, Nina is tragically stabbed several times and killed on the spot.

Thankfully, despite the Princess’ ruse to stay alive fooling Amanda Waller, The Bride connects the dots and kills the Princess despite orders otherwise. Sadly, while the Bride saves the world in doing so, Nina Mazursky's death remains.

The Direct’s Russ Milheim chatted with Zoe Chao in an exclusive interview, during which she discussed her character’s death and why Nina’s ending was tragically fitting.

Zoë Chao on Nina's Tragic Death in the Creature Commandos Finale

"I Understand Why She Had to Go. She Was Too Good for This World."

• The Direct: "How did you feel when you first read that [Nina] would die? When you were like, 'Oh, well, I guess that's how it's going down.'"

Zoë Chao: I'm like, what compelling storytelling, James Gunn, does it again. He gets you right in the heart. You often, in stories like this, lose your favorite characters sometimes, or the ones that represent the heart of the story. So I understand why she had to go. She was too good for this world.

• The Direct: "Sometimes it's hard to swallow tragic endings. It does feel fitting for her story, and something about it feels right. So, in your own words, why do you think it was the perfect end to Nina's story in the show?"

Chao: Because I think she, I think her life ended the way she's always lived it, which is actually kind of by a moral code that other people in her world didn't have.  So, I think even in her death, there's dignity because I don't think she could ever really kill another being.

• The Direct: "How close do you think Nina was to metaphorically pulling the trigger, as it were, [and] stabbing and killing the Princess. Would she had done it, or was she still deciding to do it?

Chao: I think she was totally capable, physically, of doing it. I think any stutter came from not wanting to kill another being. And I think in that hesitation, that's how she lost her life.

• The Direct: "Weasel was one of the [team members] she got close with [over the course of the series]. Do you think she would be mad at Weasal if she had a chance to know what he did?"

Chao: I mean, he's just doing what is in his DNA, right? So he's just being Wesal. I think she would have a lot of understanding and and compassion for him.

The Direct: "At the end of the day, what are you most proud of with how Nina kind of came across in the finished show?"

Chao: I guess we'll see, but I think because it's dependent on how fans react, right? You know, it's like, if people feel connected to her, if people feel lost when she dies, then I think I will have done my job. So, hopefully, people care for her. I think that's the most important thing, and I'd be very proud if people did because she's so worth caring for.

Finally Exploring Nina's Backstory in the Finale

"I Think [Nina's] Superpower Is Her Big Heart."

• The Direct: "Seven episodes in, and now we finally get Nina's backstory. So, I wanted to first ask about that. How did it feel when you first read about how her tragic origin goes down?"

Zoë Chao: I really felt for her. Shunned by her own mother and abandoned. Her dad was such a great father, too, and so their relationship is really beautiful. And then the end of his life is so tragic. You kind of marvel at how she is in the face of such tragedy, still such an open spirit throughout the season, because she's faced so much adversity and has really only experienced love from her father. So, I think her superpower is her big heart.

• The Direct: "It does feel like, obviously, Nina never belonged in Belle Reve in the first place. It's hard to see how she stayed there. Do you think Nina ever fought hard to get out or had she kind of given up when her father was killed?"

Chao: I think she'd kind of given up, is my instinct? She had made that decision to abandon the world of humans, to live life as a more free being in the sewers and stuff. And then, I think, when she was captured, and her dad was killed. I don't know if she knew what, if there were any options. And then, weirdly, this tribe of monsters like became a place of acceptance.

Nina's Unexpected Bond With The Bride and Finding Family With the Creature Commandos

"I Think She Found a Sister in The Bride"

• The Direct: "One of the biggest points for her character this season is her unexpected friendship with The Bride. Watching it, especially with her origin story. It does feel like it reignited something within her. How do you feel like their dynamic shaped Nina for the better?"

Zoë Chao: I think she found a sister in The Bride. They're an unexpected duo, but I think they bond because they both have experienced just real sadness and loss. And I think that's kind of the fabric of their friendship, in a way. It's just an understanding of how sad the world can really be. But yeah, I think she found an unexpected sister in The Bride, and like family.

• The Direct: "I really enjoyed their dynamic and watching that play out. And it was really sad how that all ended up. It did feel like Nina never fit in with the wider world. You have scenes with her growing up and in school; everyone's picking on her and everything. Would you say that she definitely felt more at home with the Creature Commandos, and kind of pretty quickly, than anywhere else?"

Chao: I guess we'll see, because it's dependent on how fans react, right? You know, it's like, if people feel connected to her, if people feel lost when she dies, then I think I will have done my job. So, hopefully, people care for her. I think that's the most important thing, and I'd be very proud if people do, because she's so worth caring for.

Creature Commandos is now streaming on Max.

Be sure to check out The Direct's interview with Creature Commandos showrunner Dean Lorey!