SUPERMAN Director James Gunn Clears Up DCU Timeline Confusion Regarding Frank Grillo's Rick Flag Sr.

SUPERMAN Director James Gunn Clears Up DCU Timeline Confusion Regarding Frank Grillo's Rick Flag Sr.

Superman director James Gunn has addressed some of the confusion surrounding the DCU timeline, specifically regarding the fact Rick Flag Sr.'s beard colour has changed between animation and live-action.

By JoshWilding - Nov 12, 2024 06:11 AM EST
Filed Under: Superman

The Suicide Squad featured the shocking death of Rick Flag, a moment which proved pivotal in Peacemaker when Christopher Smith was forced to come to terms with the murder he'd committed at the behest of Amanda Waller.

While the DCEU is being rebooted as the DCU by James Gunn, many ideas from his past projects will carry over. That's created a lot of confusion among fans, though it can likely be explained by at least some of what happened before having still taken place in this new reality. 

That's likely why Frank Grillo's Rick Flag Sr. will be on a mission of revenge, targeting Peacemaker after what he did to his son. 

Gunn was asked on Threads about the fact Grillo's beard colour is different across Creature Commandos and his live-action appearances. When it was put to him that "some are linking [Rick Flag Sr.'s] hair with the timeline," the filmmaker responded, "Link it more with Grillo simultaneously shooting Tulsa King."

He'd then clarify, "[Peacemaker season 2] is after [Superman] which is after [Creature Commandos]."

As rumours continue to swirl about when we'll get a first look at Superman, Gunn was also quizzed on whether he's watched a full cut of the movie yet. To that, he said, "I've watched it dozens of times."

New footage from Peacemaker and Creature Commandos can be found in the player below.

"He is a really cool character that Frank has been molding," Gunn previously said of Grillo's take on Rick Flag Sr. "The character's also in Superman, and he's an incredibly important part in Peacemaker. He is one of the primary characters in Peacemaker season 2. So we get to see this character from different angles, and he is not simple."

"This isn't just a good guy, not at all. We see all different sides of his character. He is morally a complex human being," the filmmaker continued. "Grillo is somebody who I've known for a little while, and I've wanted to work with him for a long time. He was one of the first people that I talked to when I took over the studio, like 'we're going to find something cool for you,' and now he is everywhere."

Superman tells the story of Superman's journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way, guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned.

Superman is set to be released in theaters on July 11, 2025. Creature Commandos arrives on December 5 and Peacemaker season 2 is slated for a 2025 debut.

About The Author:
JoshWilding
Member Since 3/13/2009
Comic Book Reader. Film Lover. WWE and F1 Fan. Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and ComicBookMovie.com's #1 contributor.
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