Frank Grillo, who plays Rick Flag Sr. in the the Creature Commandos TV show, after portraying Brock Rumlow, a.k.a. Crossbones, in the MCU.
During the Tulsa King at FAN EXPO Dallas, moderated and hosted by ScreenRant's own Joe Deckelmeier, Grillo looked back on his time with the MCU, while sharing why he is having a better time being part of the DCU franchise. After discussing the MCU's Crossbones, Grillo explained what the upside is to playing a character like Flag Sr. in the DCU while working together with James Gunn:
Frank Grillo: Rick Flag Sr... It was unfortunate because Crossbones isn't onscreen that much, and this is years ago. People love that character, and Marvel seems to have reused every other character except Crossbones. Now he's popping up in Spider-Man comics and Daredevil comics because he's a great villain, so I was expecting to have a lot of fun with it. But unfortunately, he perished kind of quickly. But I love working with James Gunn. I did the voice for Creature Commandos, and then I'm in Peacemaker, which is coming up in August. And before that, it's Superman with Rick Flag. So, it's different; it's more of an adventure than the Marvel stuff was.
What Frank Grillo's Comments Mean For The DC Universe
Looking at how Crossbones' time in the MCU came to a very sudden conclusion, it's understandable why Grillo's new experience with the DCU is something that he is having a better time with, as DC Studios is already utilizing Flag Sr. in more ways than one. With the interconnectivity between DCU live-action and animated projects, Flag Sr. is already becoming a staple character who continues various threads across the franchise. As Grillo's Flag Sr. makes his live-action debut with Superman in July, before returning in Peacemaker season 2, 2025 is already a rich year for the character compared to Crossbones.
While the MCU could have done more things with Crossbones, the super-villain instead got killed off in his second movie, Captain America: Civil War. Even though Flag Sr. may be a more obscure character, the DCU is wasting no time in making him a recurring player with an impact on the franchise. That is why Grillo's casting for the DCU timeline was one of the most exciting ones for Creature Commandos season 1, as a talented actor gets another chance to be part of the comic book genre again.
Our Take On Frank Grillo's DC Universe Comments
Image via Max
After hearing how Grillo is enjoying being Flag Sr. in the DCU, it will be fascinating to see how Superman and Peacemaker season 2 utilize him, and also where DC Studios uses the character after 2025. With the many DCU movies and TV shows that are coming up, there are plenty of opportunities for Grillo's character for years to come. While the MCU may not have been the ideal experience for him, the DCU has thankfully given Grillo a lot to work with as Flag Sr.
Tulsa King can be streamed on Paramount+.
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- Created by
- Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson
- First Film
- Man of Steel
- First TV Show
- Peacemaker
- Cast
- Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Jason Momoa, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Cara Delevingne, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Zachary Levi, Dwayne Johnson, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Strong, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Djimon Hounsou, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett, Rosie Perez, Ella Jay Basco, Ali Wong, Ewan McGregor, Idris Elba, John Cena, Michael Keaton, George Clooney, Xolo Mariduena
- Movie(s)
- Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, Justice League, Aquaman, Shazam!, Birds of Prey, Wonder Woman 1984, Zack Snyder's Justice League, The Suicide Squad, Black Adam, Shazam! The Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle, Superman, The Brave and the Bold
- Character(s)
- Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash, Cyborg, Harley Quinn, The Joker, Shazam, Darkseid, Amanda Waller, Lex Luthor, Doomsday, Deadshot, Deathstroke, Black Canary, Black Adam
The DC Universe is one of the biggest comic book franchises and often competes with Marvel. DC Comics started as National Allied Publications, founded by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson in 1935. Since then, the franchise has exploded with thousands of comic books, movies, TV shows, and video games. 2013 marked the beginning of the most recent iteration of the superheroes, with Zack Snyder introducing Henry Cavill as Superman. After several movies with mixed reviews, DC underwent a soft reboot under the helm of James Gunn and Peter Safran.
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Creature Commandos
8/10- Release Date
- December 5, 2024
- Network
- Max
- Directors
- Matt Peters
Cast
The Bride (voice)
GI Robot / Weasel (voice)
WHERE TO WATCH
StreamingBUYCreature Commandos follows the exploits of a secret team of incarcerated monsters recruited for perilous missions unsuitable for humans. Released in December 2024, the film explores themes of redemption and collaboration as the monstrous squad is tasked with handling threats that present dire challenges beyond human capability.
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Superman
- Release Date
- July 11, 2025
- Director
- James Gunn
- Writers
- James Gunn, Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster
- Producers
- Lars P. Winther, Peter Safran
- Franchise(s)
- DCU
Cast
Clark Kent / Superman / Kal-El
Rachel BrosnahanLois Lane
Nicholas HoultLex Luthor
Edi GathegiMichael Holt / Mister Terrific
Superman: This film follows Clark Kent, a cub reporter in Metropolis, as he navigates the complexities of his dual identity, struggling to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing while embracing his role as Superman.
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Peacemaker
7/10- Release Date
- January 13, 2022
- Network
- HBO Max, Max
- Showrunner
- James Gunn
Cast
Christopher Smith / Peacemaker
Leota Adebayo
WHERE TO WATCH
StreamingBUYPeacemaker is a television series expanding on the character from the film The Suicide Squad. Released in 2022, it follows the titular character, a determined anti-hero who upholds peace through extreme measures, as he confronts personal and external challenges in the aftermath of his previous mission.
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