Frank Grillo’s Rick Flag, Sr. in ‘Peacemaker,’ ‘Superman’ teased by James Gunn (unique)

As the brand new universe of DC motion pictures and reveals kicks off this yr from studio co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran, viewers ought to anticipate one fixed on display screen throughout the primary few tasks: Frank Grillo.

The actor will first seem as group chief Rick Flag, Sr. in animated collection Creature Commandos, which premieres this fall on Max. The character has roots within the DC universe already as the daddy of the late Rick Flag, Jr., a determine performed by Joel Kinnaman in Gunn’s The Suicide Squad (2021). The filmmaker beforehand confirmed that Grillo may also play Flag in season 2 of Peacemaker, which units up potential battle because it was that present’s titular character (John Cena) who killed Flag’s son in an earlier film.

And it does not cease there. After paparazzi pics surfaced of Grillo on the set of Superman, Gunn confirms to Leisure Weekly that Rick Flag, Sr. might be part of subsequent summer time’s big-screen launch.

“He’s a very cool character that Frank has been molding,” Gunn tells EW. “The character’s additionally in Superman, and he is an extremely vital half in Peacemaker. He is without doubt one of the major characters in Peacemaker season 2. So we get to see this character from completely different angles, and he’s not easy.”

Join Leisure Weekly’s free every day e-newsletter to get breaking TV information, unique first seems to be, recaps, critiques, interviews along with your favourite stars, and extra.

“This is not only a good man, by no means,” Gunn continues. “We see all completely different sides of his character. He’s morally a fancy human being. Grillo is anyone who I’ve identified for a short time, and I’ve needed to work with him for a very long time. He was one of many first folks that I talked to after I took over the studio, like ‘we’ll discover one thing cool for you,’ and now he’s in every single place.”

Creature Commandos, written and government produced by Gunn, facilities round a secret group of incarcerated monsters who’re recruited to execute missions which can be too harmful for people. Grillo’s Flag wrangles the squad, which consists of Frankenstein (David Harbour), The Bride (Indira Varma), GI Robotic (Sean Gunn), Weasel (additionally Sean Gunn), Dr. Phosphorus (Alan Tudyk), and Nina Mazursky (Zoe Chao).

Grillo’s efficiency might be proof of idea for a coverage Gunn and Safran beforehand introduced about their new DC universe, that characters will constantly be performed by the identical actor throughout each animated and live-action tasks. So if there is a Superman online game or animated collection following subsequent yr’s film, the character will probably be performed by star David Corenswet in these variations, as effectively.

By portraying Flag in an animated collection, a live-action collection, after which a live-action film, Grillo will actually get to inhabit each nook of this burgeoning multi-media franchise.

“The actors have to have the ability to work inside completely different genres, and that is one thing Frank’s actually been good at,” Gunn says. “He is been actually good on the comedy of Creature Commandos and in addition actually good on the drama of Peacemaker and Superman.”

DC followers will get their first style of Rick Flag, Sr. when Creature Commandos premieres Dec. 5 on Max.