TheDC Universestar Frank Grillo opens up about joining James Gunn’s reboot throughCreature Commandos. Nearly a year since the DCEU movie timeline came to an end,Gunn’s DC Universewill be getting its debut this December, but not in the world of live-action. While fans will have to wait a bit for the first live-action installment, which will be 2025’sSuperman, Max is taking audiences into Gunn’s reboot of the universe with the animatedCreature Commandosseries.
Grillo plays Rick Flag Sr., a name that should ring a bell to fans who followedthe DCEU movie timeline. He is the father of the dearly departed Rick Flag Jr. (Joel Kinnaman), who is now tasked with leading the Creature Commandos, a new team that is a departure from Amanda Waller’s Suicide Squad. Rather than putting incarcerated human prisoners out on the field on government missions, the team instead consists of actual monsters.
Creature Commandos: Cast, Story Details & Everything We Know
Creature Commandos is set to launch James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DCU reboot in late 2024, here are all the available details on the show so far.
ScreenRantrecently interviewed Grillo about taking on his latest superhero gig as part oftheCreature Commandoscast, which will soon be followed by appearances inSupermanandPeacemakerseason 2 in 2025. Grillo revealed that much of Flag Sr.’s depiction is based on the actor’s real-life mannerisms and explained what makes him capable of leading a team like the Creature Commandos. Grillo also addressed whether or not viewers will get to learn more about his relationship with his son, and he weighed in on who would emerge victorious in a clash between Flag Sr. and Peacemaker.
Frank Grillo Previews Rick Flag Sr.’s DC Universe Debut In Creature Commandos
“[James Gunn] gave me the freedom to implement a lot of myself into Rick.”
ScreenRant: Has James given you a play-by-play of Rick’s history prior to the events ofCreature Commandos, how much do you know of Rick’s history at this point?
Frank Grillo: No, because Rick isn’t real prominent in any of the comics, he gave me a good ten or eight pages of a backstory in history and how Rick has come to this place. He did help with that, and then he was like, ‘Take this and do what you want with him.’ He gave me the freedom to implement a lot of myself into Rick. This is a character that’s not so far away from me.
So you get to put a lot of yourself into him?
Frank Grillo: Yeah, he’s very similar to myself, which sometimes it’s harder to do that, because as an actor, you’re trained not to do that, but there’s always an element of yourself, obviously, in what you’re doing. But this guy, the way that he believes in the world, and his relationship to his son, it’s very similar.
Frank Grillo On Rick Flag Sr.’s Leadership With The Creature Commandos & Unlikely Dynamics
For someone who gets tasked with running a team of monsters and the unnatural, Rick, seems very, very chill with everything that he sees around himself. Is it fair to say that he’s had a lot of experience with these kind of individuals?
Frank Grillo: Yeah, I likened to Men in Black, like how Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith reacted to all the aliens. It was a world that I live in, and nothing about it is really abnormal, because it’s my circumstance. It’s the same thing with with Flag, he’s like, ‘Okay, what’s that one do? What’s that one doing? Alright.’ It’s all kind of normal to him, and that’s which makes it fun for me.
A dynamic we see come to life, that I wasn’t expecting at all, was Eric and Rick. Eric just wants a BFF and he’s clearly seeing something in Rick, but Rick doesn’t seem to let a lot of people in very easily. How does that change throughout the rest of the series, as we see him? Does he start to kind of let more people in and is he kind of very shut off?
Frank Grillo: No, I think he does. I think it’s essential. I think, first of all, I think he has to because they are a team. But I think he wants to. I think the death of his son has created such a shell and has hardened him in such a way that he’s either going to die or change. I think it’s amazing that this group of misfits and what they represent have the ability to do that for him. It’s interesting, you could see he wants to be loved. He wants to have love, and he’s willing to jeopardize something for the desire of the princess and that’s an interesting conundrum, too.
Frank Grillo On Potential Work With Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag Jr. In James Gunn’s DC Universe
“Do you respond to the characters in a way where you want to see more of them?”
Speaking of your son, he touches upon his history with Rick Jr., and at this point, I really want to see you and Joel Kinnaman actually getting to have some kind of flashbacks that explores their dynamic. Is that something we may see happen, and is something that you want to see happen?
Frank Grillo: Joel and I are doing our own movie….no, I’m joking! I love Joel, we’re pals, and I think he’s a great actor, and it would be interesting to explore that. James has not mentioned any of that, but I would be down for it if people respond, and it’s all about the audience, it’s all about you. It’s all about do you respond to the characters in a way where you want to see more of them. That kind of dictates if the guy’s going to be around, at least in an important way. So it remains to be seen how people respond to him.
I know you can’t talk about what’s coming afterCreature Commandos, but what’s Rick’s throughline character arc for him in the DCU as we see him starting from this show?
Frank Grillo: The throughline is his professional growth, [it] is him taking on a bigger and bigger role in the DCU and being in charge, being able to kind of do things that his hands were tied before. So it’s about him balancing that responsibility.
Frank Grillo On Differences Between Working On The DC Universe & The Marvel Cinematic Universe
What has been the most rewarding aspect of jumping between live-action and animation? You’re no stranger to being part of superhero universes, but here they really are using you in a lot of good ways.
Frank Grillo: It’s just being really involved in such a great way from the beginning, so I have a chance to be in the embryotic stages of this in a big capacity, and not just used as plot device and then shunned away. So in this thing, you’re able to’t do it without Rick Flag Sr., the way James has set it up, and that is really, to me, important, and I’m grateful for it. I take it very seriously. I tell James and Peter this all the time, whatever you guys got planned, I’m game.
Frank Grillo Teases The End Of Creature Commandos Season 1 & Benefits Of R-Rated DCU Stories
“There’s steamy love scenes, and there’s so many great lines.”
I have seen the first five, what should we look forward to in the final two episodes?
Frank Grillo: I think, mostly, it’s unpredictable what’s gonna [happen.] You think you know, you don’t know, so that’s what makes it fun. Lke any great series, you must watch it to the end to the last minute of the last episode to get all out of it [and] what you put into it. That’s what makes great television.
Was the aspect of being able to do a product that is, not just animated, but also gets to be R-rated, and very dark with very dark humor, something that was very appealing?
Frank Grillo: Yeah, man! When I read [it,] I was like, ‘Dude, I am in.’ Because I’ve never, really, done or seen anything like this. It’s R, the fights are violent and they’re really great. There’s steamy love scenes, and there’s so many great lines, humorous lines. It’s so funny at times. And like all of Gunn’s things, it’s got heart. This is an actor’s dream, and it’s animated, so I didn’t have to put clothes on. I could just go to the booth in my underwear.
Frank Grillo On Who Wins Between Rick Flag Sr. And John Cena’s Peacemaker
Who wins in a fight, Rick Flag Sr. or Peacemaker?
Frank Grillo: It’s close, it’s close… but I think Flag is a little smarter. The smart guy wins the fight. As a fighter I’m going to tell you, the smart guy wins.
More About Creature Commandos Season 1
CREATURE COMMANDOS tracks a secret team of incarcerated monsters recruited for missions deemed too dangerous for humans. When all else fails… they’re your last, worst option. CREATURE COMMANDOS is written and executive produced by James Gunn. Based on DC characters and produced by DC Studios and Warner Bros. Animation; additional executive producers include Peter Safran, Dean Lorey, and Sam Register; Rick Morales serves as a supervising producer.
Check out our otherCreature Commandosseason 1 interviews here:
Creature Commandosseason 1 premieres on Thursday, December 5, with the first two episodes before shifting to weekly releases only on Max.
Creature Commandos
Cast
Creature 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.
