James Gunn’s DC Studios universe is coming together. And while the previous DC Universe has been disregarded from canon, some elements of his “The Suicide Squad” film will remain. Frank Grillo, who plays Rick Flag Sr., the father of Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag in the aforementioned ‘Suicide Squad’ film, recently revealed he would have a role in Gunn’s upcoming “Superman” movie starring David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan. And he’ll also have a voice-acting role in the upcoming DC Studios animated series, “Creature Commandos.”
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And as for Rick Flag Jr? Well, if you’ve seen “The Suicide Squad,” you’d know he died at the hands of Peacemaker (John Cena). But when asked if he would reprise his role as Flag in the forthcoming season two of “Peacemaker,” Joel Kinnaman had a seemingly aggressive response, and not because his character is dead, apparently.
“I don’t know what to say. That’s ridiculous. I would never. I would never be on a show like that. It’s not what I do. It’s not what I do,” Kinnaman said in a recent interview with ScreenRant while being interviewed for the movie, “The Silent Hour.”
The outlet gave no other context, but that does seem like a weird response and possibly a jab at that show. And it’s not like the Swedish is talking about slumming in TV as he’s done plenty of TV and got his American start on the small screen in shows like “The Killing,” “House Of Cards,” and currently, he’s also on “For All Mankind.”
So does he have some beef with “Peacemaker” the series itself? That would be odd given it’s a spin-off from “The Suicide Squad,” which Kinnaman starred in (as well as 2016’s “Suicide Squad”), and they both share the same Hard-R, irreverent and violent tone.
It’s an odd comment, to say the least, unless it’s more of a denial. Director Peter Sollett (“Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist”), who directed episodes of “Peacemaker” season two, along with Greg Mottola and James Gunn, tagged Kinnaman in a wrap post on Instagram, which was spotted by eagle-eyed fans. The tag was quickly deleted, but perhaps Kinnaman’s Rick Flag does show up in a flashback before his death with Peacemaker, and the actor is deflecting? It’s hard to say, but it does make us suddenly extra curious. Furthermore, Grillo’s Rick Flag Sr. will appear in “Peacemaker,” so maybe that explains it. Perhaps it is a father-and-son flashback; who knows?
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Along with “Peacemaker,” and potentially some ‘Suicide Squad’ characters, the only other element of the former DCU that has survived is the behind-the-scenes members of Task Force X. Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), who will eventually star in a “Waller,” according to Gunn, but no details have been released for that yet, and it hasn’t even shot. DC Studios stars with “Creature Commandos” in December, continues with “Superman” in the summer of 2025, and presumably “Peacemaker” will arrive sometime after that next year, and perhaps this little mini-mystery will be solved.