Movies News Talk
Frank Grillo is portraying Rick Flag Sr. in Superman, the father of Rick Flag Jr who starred in 2016's Suicide Squad and 2021's soft reboot, The Suicide Squad. Rick Flag Sr. is first slated to star in the animated Dcu show Creature Commandos, but set photos have revealed that he will then star alongside David Corenswet in Superman. These set photos reveal that Rick Flag Sr. is participating in the apparent arrest of Superman. This state of affairs seems to suggest that the character might take on an antagonistic role and places Grillo in a very familiar position.
Rick Flag Sr.'s apprehension of Superman parallels Brock Rumlow's arrest of Captain America in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. In both cases, Grillo's character is impressively outmatched by the hero they are attempting to arrest, but seemingly manages to get both in cuffs. Judging by what appears to be happening in the Superman set photos, however, both had wildly different outcomes as Superman appears to be complying whereas Cap made a swift example of his would-be captors. Nevertheless, both scenes share an even deeper meaning.
While Captain America is not the Mcu's answer to Superman in terms of power levels, the two characters do share one stark similarity. Specifically, Captain America and Superman are the pinnacle of virtue in their respective franchises. Both characters have an inherent drive to do what's right above all else, which can put them at odds with just slightly less scrupulous heroes like Iron Man and Batman.
Grillo's apparent track record for playing a militaristic character tasked with apprehending a physically superior being is one thing, but the fact that both instances have him arresting two paragons of heroism is a particularly notable pattern. As yet, little is known about the role that Rick Flag Sr. will play in Superman beyond aiding in his arrest. Regardless, his participation in bringing such a virtuous character to heel makes it hard not to draw parallels between the DCU's Rick Flag Sr. and the decidedly villainous Brock Rumlow.
Grillo has starred in many action movies. It's not a surprise that he has been cast in more comic book movies, following on from his role as Brock Rumlow, AKA Crossbones, in the Mcu. Grillo is best known for starring in action movies, thanks in no small part to his proven athleticism and proficiency in various martial arts.
Grillo's second appearance as Flag Sr means he has a unique comic book movie record. Following Crossbones' death in Captain America: Civil War, Grillo's second appearance as Flag Sr. means he has a unique comic book movie record. Grillo is breaking new ground by portraying the first character to move from live-action to animation in the same cinematic universe.
It's fascinating that Grillo has found a niche in playing characters who are tasked with bringing down heroes. Maybe it's a testament to his acting abilities or the fact that he's just good at portraying morally gray characters. Either way, his record is a reflection of the characters he's playing.
It's interesting that he's been cast in roles that are so different from each other, but still have this common thread. It shows that Grillo is a versatile actor who can bring nuance to any role.
Could this be the start of a new trend in comic book movies? Will we see more actors playing roles in both the DCU and the Mcu?
It's certainly possible, and it would be interesting to see how this develops. Maybe Grillo's record will inspire other actors to try their hand at playing characters in both universes. Only time will tell.