DC Studios finally confirms that Frank Grillo has joined the new DC Universe as its first hero in the upcoming Creature Commandos animated series.Per The Wrap, Grillo will play Rick Flag Sr. in the series, which will start off the DCU's "Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters" in 2024. DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn will pen the script. According to Gunn, the animation will lead to live-action and vice versa, meaning Grillo could play Rick Flag Sr. in the other format in the future.
Frank Grillo Confirms He's Joined the DCU
Grillo recently confirmed he had joined the DCU, but he refrained from clarifying his role or what project he might appear in. For months, fans theorized Grillo would play Rick Flag Sr., though neither he nor Gunn commented on the specific casting choice. Speculation about his inclusion in the DCU intensified after he appeared on the red carpet for the premiere of Shazam! Fury of the Gods. Grillo fueled these rumors by teasing the possibility that he and Ron Perlman would appear in a DC project together in the near future.
Rick Flag Sr. is the leader of the original Suicide Squadron in DC Comics, set in World War II. The accomplished fighter pilot got handpicked to lead the team due to his hardened nature, allowing him to pull the group together to serve a purpose more effectively. He eventually led the second group, the Suidice Squad for Task Force X, under the orders of President Harry Truman after the disbandment of the Justice Society of America.
Frank Grillo Left the MCU For the DCU Over Crossbones
Previously, Grillo played Brock Rumlow/Crossbones in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Endgame and Marvel's What If..?. The actor confirmed that his disappointment over his time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe led to his jumping ship to DC after the MCU failed to use the character much.
"They never told a story [about Crossbones]. The mythology of the MCU and just what Marvel has in its pool of characters, it's so deep. Crossbones was there for a minute, but he was supposed to be there longer, then they went the direction they did," Grillo explained. "I think Crossbones serves a purpose, but I think the interesting thing is that if you see how many people around the world have responded to Crossbones, and again, he's on the screen for a very fucking short amount of time, I think there's more there. I think there was more meat on the bone. I was disappointed, which is why I went over to DC."
Creature Commandos is in production and expected to arrive sometime in 2024.
Source: The Wrap