James Gunn Confirms Frank Grillo’s Rick Flag Sr. In 'Superman'
The character is the first two demonstrate the interconnectivity of the new DC Universe in animation, film, and TV
At the end of January 2023, DC Studios CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran unveiled the first ten projects of their new DC Universe, promising film, television, and animated projects that would see their stars cross between all three available forms reprising their characters in any appearances. Thursday, Gunn acknowledged the first actor and character to have accomplished the feat with solely-current universe projects by confirming what set photos had already revealed: Creature Commandos star Frank Grillo will be appearing in the slate’s first film, Superman.
“He is a really cool character that Frank has been molding," Gunn tells Entertainment Weekly. "The character's also in Superman, and he's an incredibly important part in Peacemaker. He is one of the primary characters in Peacemaker season 2. So we get to see this character from different angles, and he is not simple."
“This isn't just a good guy, not at all," Gunn elaborated. "We see all different sides of his character. He is morally a complex human being. Grillo is somebody who I've known for a little while, and I've wanted to work with him for a long time. He was one of the first people that I talked to when I took over the studio, like 'we're going to find something cool for you,' and now he is everywhere." When Gunn originally announced that Grillo was joining Peacemaker season 2, he said he and Peacemaker “have a little unfinished business to take care of…” This is certainly reasonable, as Peacemaker killed Flag’s son Rick Jr. at the end of Gunn’s 2021 original foray into DC, The Suicide Squad, from which the Peacemaker spinoff was born.
The inclusion in Superman, though the exact role Flag will play was not elaborated on, reinforces Creature Commandos as the universe’s soft launch, the seven-episode animated series premiering December 5 on Max ahead of the Man of Steel’s touchdown in theaters on July 11, 2025. It is clearly immediate payoff to some extent, which certainly strengthens the “soft” launch. The series will also star Steve Agee as John Economos and Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, who already appeared in the already-released Peacemaker season and The Suicide Squad, which has the most to retain from the previous continuity thanks to being Gunn-created, and will likely appear in that second season, but they do not have a confirmed movie appearance of this continuity yet, thus making Grillo as Flag the one to do it. Sean Gunn is also reprising as Weasel while adding the role of G.I. Robot. Debuting in Creature Commandos are Maria Bakalova as Princess Ilana Rostovic, Indira Varma as The Bride, Zoe Chao as Nina Mazursky, Alan Tudyk as Dr. Phosphorus, and David Harbour as Eric Frankenstein. Tudyk will also be appearing in Superman, but his role is secret, and therefore heavily insinuates that it is different and not reprising his role as Phosphorus.
Grillo and Tudyk are part of a Superman ensemble led by David Corenswet as Clark Kent aka Superman, with Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Wendell Pierce as Perry White, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Beck Bennett as Steve Lombard, Mikaela Hoover as Cat Grant and Christopher MacDonald as Ron Troupe. Additional heroes include Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, and Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho aka Rex Mason. There’s also Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Neva Howell and Pruitt Taylor Vince home in Smallville as Ma and Pa Martha and Jonathan Kent, María Gabriela De Faría as Angela Spica, The Engineer, Terence Rosemore as Otis, and Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher with Milly Alcock all but confirmed to debut as Supergirl here.
Sources: Entertainment Weekly, Deadline