James Gunn Says Rick Flag Sr.’s DC Role is ‘Morally Complex’

Frank Grillo is joining James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Universe as Rick Flag Sr., the first character who will jump between animation and live-action projects. Flag Sr., the father of Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag, has already been confirmed to appear in three DCU projects: Creature Commandos, Peacemaker Season 2, and Superman. During a recent conversation with Entertainment Weekly, James Gunn gave audiences who might not be aware of the obscure comic book character some hints at what they can expect to see in Grillo’s multi-medium performance.

“He is a really cool character that Frank has been molding,” James Gunn began. Rick Flag Sr. will play an important role in the early DCU. Gunn continued, “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.“

When describing what Rick Flag Sr.’s like as a character, Gunn said he’s far from a straight-laced hero. “This isn’t just a good guy, not at all,” he explained. Much like his son, Rick Flag Sr.’s morality will likely shift and change depending on the mission at hand, and the lives at stake. Across the three projects Flag Sr. will star in, Gunn promised that audiences would witness multiple sides of the complex leader, saying:

“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.”

How Will the DCU Jump Between Animation and Live-Action?

Rick Flag Sr. isn’t the only character who will bounce between live-action and animation in the DC Universe. Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller will also appear in Creature Commandos as the commander of the expendable team, before headlining her own live-action series, aptly titled Waller. Most recently, James Gunn announced that the Boy Wonder and his far angrier successor, a.k.a. Dick Grayson and Jason Todd, will star in their own animated movie in the DC Universe. Fans have been desperate to see Nightwing and Red Hood on the big screen for decades, and are hoping that the characters will jump from their animated movie to future live-action projects — potentially, the Brave and the Bold Batman movie.

Having characters appear in live-action and animation poses certain problems for the DC Universe. Firstly, James Gunn and Peter Safran need to cast actors who will be readily available for a number of future projects. Additionally, their animated counterparts will need to look like the actors they are being voiced by. This isn’t a problem for the DC Universe’s human characters. But, Gunn and Safran are embracing DC Comics’ more wacky and paranormal characters. Were any of those heroes and villains to move between live-action and animation, it would require meticulous planning to adapt their unique designs into live-action, either through CGI or physical costumes and prosthetics.