CAPTAIN AMERICA Star Frank Grillo Confirms He's Joining James Gunn's DCU; Criticizes Crossbones' Portrayal

CAPTAIN AMERICA Star Frank Grillo Confirms He's Joining James Gunn's DCU; Criticizes Crossbones' Portrayal

Avengers: Endgame star Frank Grillo has once again taken aim at Crossbones' portrayal in the MCU, confirming that it played a role in his decision to jump ship to James Gunn's DCU. Read on for details...

By JoshWilding - Apr 05, 2023 08:04 AM EST
Filed Under: DC Studios
Source: ComicBook.com

Frank Grillo first played Brock Rumlow in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, with that movie setting the stage for the undercover HYDRA agent to become Crossbones. 

We saw that transformation in Captain America: Civil War, though the villain ended up being killed off after a mere few minutes of screentime. The Russo Brothers attempted to make that right with a cameo in Avengers: Endgame, but Grillo has never shied away from sharing his disappointment about the short-lived MCU role. 

In recent weeks, the actor has been teasing a jump to DC Studios' DCU, with the prevailing theory being that he'll play Rick Flag Sr. in Creature Commandos

While Grillo didn't confirm that in a recent interview with ComicBook.com, he still made it clear that the DCU is next for him. 

"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," he explains. "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 f***ing short amount of time, I think there's more there," Grillo continued. "I think there was more meat on the bone. I was disappointed, which is why I went over to DC."

These comments make Grillo the first new addition to the DCU and James Gunn has previously confirmed that he's been hard at work casting the animated series. Actors in that show will later reprise their roles in live-action, so Grillo is likely to have an exciting few years ahead. 

Creature Commandos is expected to premiere on HBO Max in 2024 or 2025.

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noahthegrand
noahthegrand - 4/5/2023, 8:19 AM
They probably shouldn't have killed him. One of his henchmen could have been the suicide bomber.
TheWalkingCuban
TheWalkingCuban - 4/5/2023, 9:04 AM
@noahthegrand - I’m fine with the ways thing went. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from D+, the more you get to know these people, the more naps you take
bs77
bs77 - 4/5/2023, 8:25 AM
I think that was a decision based more on the ability of the actor in the role than the role itself. Frank was good but he was blown out of the water by Evans in TWS. I forget he's is in the movie. He was an average henchman. He was never going to be the "next" big villain.
SauronthePower
SauronthePower - 4/5/2023, 9:38 AM
@bs77 - you and Grillo know each other on a personal level?
Nate212
Nate212 - 4/5/2023, 1:33 PM
@bs77 - I don't think Crossbones would have been a Thanos level villain, but he absolutely could have been used as a Red Skull type of villain in Captain America 4 if Evans stayed on as Cap. He started out as a henchman, but he could have easily been a bigger threat if they built up to it.
Fogs
Fogs - 4/5/2023, 8:26 AM
There are so many minor villains in the comics. Could they extend his part? Sure. But we remember Crossbones and that says something.

He served his purpose in the story as a muscle baddie.
marvel72
marvel72 - 4/5/2023, 8:31 AM
@Fogs - I get what you are saying but he'd definitely be in the top ten best Captain America villains.
Slotherin
Slotherin - 4/5/2023, 8:42 AM
@marvel72 - but like why? Besides shooting Cap, he's not known for much
marvel72
marvel72 - 4/5/2023, 8:47 AM
@Slotherin - Because it just is, you list Captain Americas best villains and he'd be there.

Red Skull and Baron Zemo at the top with probably Baron Von Strucker 3rd and then the rest.
Slotherin
Slotherin - 4/5/2023, 8:49 AM
@Fogs - true. Grillo was memorable at the least
Fogs
Fogs - 4/5/2023, 9:07 AM
@marvel72 - Sure. 10 is a big list, specially when we're talking movies.
soberchimera
soberchimera - 4/5/2023, 9:18 AM
@Fogs - He's essentially Captain America's version of Bullseye, he was criminally underused in the MCU. They should have just had him be Crossbones in TWS, instead of showing his "origin".
Fogs
Fogs - 4/5/2023, 9:24 AM
@soberchimera - then people would be complaining there was too much in that movie.
soberchimera
soberchimera - 4/5/2023, 9:37 AM
@Fogs - They could've just have Crossbones as Pierce's main henchman and cut out the other corrupt SHIELD agents. Grillo's character wouldn't have had to change much, just put him in the Crossbones costume, not that complicated.
mastakilla39
mastakilla39 - 4/5/2023, 1:01 PM
@Fogs - Problem is Cap didn't really get a 3rd film. His 3rd film became civil war AKA avengers 2.5 so all the setup of any cap villains got cut. Loved it at the time, but in retrospective I wish Chris Evans had gotten a full film to himself to see the character develop more before leaving in Endgame. He'll be back but it will only be as feature cameos because his trilogy is done.
Nate212
Nate212 - 4/5/2023, 1:43 PM
@mastakilla39 - I agree. Civil War really should have been Avengers 3. A third Captain America film could have led into an Avengers: Civil War film to be honest. Have it be about Crossbones gathering the remains of Hydra to carry out terrorist attacks and it comes down to Cap and Falcon needing to find Bucky to help them stop him, it ends with Bucky being framed for the murder of King T'Chaka, which sets into motion the events of Civil War. It's revealed in a post credit scene that Baron Zemo was responsible for everything that happened in the film. And then an Avengers: Civil War film plays out pretty much the same way as the original Civil War did, with Tony and Steve on opposite sides of the conflict.

Actually thinking about it Crossbones could have easily returned for Captain America: New World Order, given how he fought Sam at the end of The Winter Soldier. Even if he's not Steve's nemesis, he could have been Sam's.
Fogs
Fogs - 4/5/2023, 2:38 PM
@soberchimera - Nah, the scale was simply perfect IMO. To me there's sooo little room, if any, for improvement in TWS. Peak MCU.

@mastakilla39 - I understand what you mean with "2.5" but that's mainly because the Avengers appear, not that they have the importance to carry the movie as protagonists, like a proper Avengers film would demand. Even Stark, who could be debated as such, only serves as a conduit for Caps character to shine through conflict.

I also don't really think of it as "Avengers 2.5" because it finally brought what everyone always complained about, since the first Wolverine movie happened: "why the team won't help the hero in solo films?"
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 4/5/2023, 8:31 AM
I liked how they used Batroc couple of times as a smaller villain, and I think they could've done the same with Crossbones. Guess there are henchmen enough though
toylled
toylled - 4/5/2023, 8:32 AM
Actor complains about handling of a character they were cast as.. what did you want Frank? A Crossbones series? Minor character that didn't need fleshing out.
Fogs
Fogs - 4/5/2023, 9:10 AM
@toylled - exactly, this is like the muscle foes in Indiana Jones films complaining they lacked more highlight.

Movies are totally different than comics in this specific point. Time is limited.
Shivermetimbers
Shivermetimbers - 4/5/2023, 9:14 AM
@toylled - Nailed it. D list actor in a fairly minor role complaining about the biggest franchise in the world not giving him more time. boo hoo. Crossbones is a glorified henchman.
marvel72
marvel72 - 4/5/2023, 8:33 AM
I think Baron Von Strucker got worse treatment.
PapaSpank54
PapaSpank54 - 4/5/2023, 8:42 AM
@marvel72 - big facts.
Fogs
Fogs - 4/5/2023, 9:11 AM
@marvel72 - with that I agree 100%. I was sure there was so much to him when Civil War was done. FatWS could've take him waaay more seriously. Here's hoping.
soberchimera
soberchimera - 4/5/2023, 9:38 AM
@marvel72 - I've always seen him as more of a Nick Fury/SHIELD villain than Cap villain.
Repian
Repian - 4/5/2023, 10:46 AM
@marvel72 - Thomas Kretschmann for Reeves' Bat-Universe. Maybe a Hugo Strange with a German accent.
Repian
Repian - 4/5/2023, 1:29 PM
@Repian - Or Victor Freeze in the DCU.

Nate212
Nate212 - 4/5/2023, 1:45 PM
@Fogs - Wrong character. You're thinking of Zemo.
Fogs
Fogs - 4/5/2023, 2:39 PM
@Nate212 - Awwww you're right. Strucker appears in AOU, that's why I got confused.

Yeah, Strucker had zero things to do, unfortunately.
marvel72
marvel72 - 4/5/2023, 4:37 PM
@Fogs - I think you are thinking of Baron Zemo. Baron Strucker has a power gauntlet in the comics, he was defeated by Cap at the start of Age Of Ultron.

IronDean2099
IronDean2099 - 4/5/2023, 8:40 AM
He would be a pretty perfect Midnighter. Don't waste him on Creature Commandos.
Alucard28
Alucard28 - 4/5/2023, 8:40 AM
I can see him as Deathstroke TBH.
Slotherin
Slotherin - 4/5/2023, 8:43 AM
I liked him in the role, but like What...
There's not a lot of character to Crossbones.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 4/5/2023, 8:43 AM
He served his purpose. Sure you could’ve gotten more out of him but it is what it is. Also, Grillo isn’t an actor capable of being being that big kind of villain.
SonOfAGif
SonOfAGif - 4/5/2023, 8:50 AM
He got treated a lot better than most villains. He appeared in three different movies. He appeared in The Winter Soldier, Civil War, and then a flashback in Endgame showing his character was part of strike team since 2012. He had a few cool scenes and even beat up Black Widow and almost got her killed. I think he had a nice portion of screen time for a minor villain.
Arthorious
Arthorious - 4/5/2023, 10:39 AM
@SonOfAGif - They ever explain why her taser didn't work on him? Intense nerve damage or something?
SonOfAGif
SonOfAGif - 4/5/2023, 5:30 PM
@Arthorious - I think it was nerve damage. Because when she tasered him he said "That don't work like that no more!" I always assumed his injuries were so severe he had nerve damage. Explains why he kept taking Cap's punches. He probably couldn't feel them.
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