Rick Flag Sr., voiced by Frank Grillo (Crossbones from the MCU), quickly became a fan favorite when the first episode of Creature Commandos started the DCU on December 5, 2024.
Announced on the last day of January 2023, Creature Commandos is a violent animated show that unites DC characters and literary icons such as Frankenstein's Monster and his Bride (i.e., characters in the public domain). It picks up right after the events of Peacemaker Season 01, where Amanda Waller's Task Force X abuses are exposed.
Now, Waller's prohibited from using supervillains for black-ops missions. However, she finds a loophole even in this new directive, and she assigns a questionable mission to a new team under the command of Rick or Richard Flag Sr. The synopsis for Creature Commandos reads thus:
"In this edgy DC animated series, a secret team of incarcerated monsters is the last resort for missions deemed too dangerous for humans."
However, before proceeding with Flag Sr., let's address the reason why he is in the current DCU. For that, we need to look at another character with the same name but only "Jr." at the end.
Who is Rick Flag Jr.?
The first iteration of this character, Richard "Rick" Flag Jr., was played by Joel Kinnaman. The actor played Flag Jr. in the 2016 David Ayer movie Suicide Squad, a part of the now-defunct Universe referred to as the DC Extended Universe or DCEU.
The character later appeared in 2021's The Suicide Squad, which probably isn't a part of the DCEU even if it retained Kinnaman as Flag, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, and Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang. At the end of the movie, the Peacemaker kills Richard Flag Jr., setting the stage for the deceased character's appearance in the DCU's Creature Commandos.
Understanding Richard Flag Sr. in Creature Commandos
We see Richard Flag Sr. on a frame in his animated form in the very first episode of Creature Commandos as Waller briefs him on his non-human teammates. While he may look like a tough-as-nails commander, he is very different in reality.
We see this side when Doctor Phosphorus breaks into Flag Sr.'s room to access the phone that could activate the explosive in the villain's head. While they get into a brutal fistfight, Flag talks some sense into Phosphorus about Waller having the kill switch.
He also shows his caring and intelligent side when he shows up to rescue The Bride and Nina at Frankenstein's castle. Flag quickly realizes that it was a distraction by the sorceress Circe, rushing to save Princess Ilana Rostovic. He reaches the castle on time, guns down some of the followers of Circe, and later orders G.I. Robot to gun all of the remaining ones.
After Circe destroys G.I. and attacks the princess, Weasel chomps down on her. As that happens, Rick Flag Sr. seems genuinely shocked by the brutality of the moment.
How does Rick Flag Sr. from Creature Commandos feel about his Son?
Richard Flag Sr. expresses genuine affection and sorrow over Jr. He describes Rick Flag Jr. as an improvement over him. Also, Gunn explains away the 14-year age difference between Joel Kinnaman and Frank Grillo. Flag Sr. tells the Princess that he and his partner had a child at 18.
Why does Richard Flag Sr. Look Different?
On November 11 2024, the official YouTube channel of Max released a list of upcoming shows in 2025. One of the shows featured was Peacemaker Season 2, including a look at Flag Sr, in the live-action format. However, fans were left confused by Frank Grillo's hair color because his hair is white in animation, while black in Peacemaker Season 2.
The reason behind the different hair colors is that Grillo was shooting Tulsa King simultaneously. However, fans have also explained it away as Flag Sr. coloring his hair black. Regardless of the continuity issues, fans are excited to see Richard Flag Sr. avenging his son in Peacemaker Season 2.
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The DCU's introductory show, Creature Commandos, is streaming the first three episodes on Max. The show's final episode will be released on January 9, 2025.
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