Whenever you make your manner via the Marvel films so as, you’ll spot Frank Grillo enjoying Brock Rumlow, a.ok.a. Crossbones, in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil Conflict and Avengers: Endgame. He additionally vocally reprised the character for a couple of episodes of What If… ?, which will be streamed with a Disney+ subscription, however for all intents and functions, his time within the MCU is completed. Now, as he’s about to make his DC Universe debut as Rick Flag Sr., Grillo informed CinemaBlend why he thinks Marvel has “been in hassle” currently, and the way working with DC Studios co-head James Gunn has felt so totally different.
Grillo spoke with our Sean O’Connell through the junket for Creature Commandos, the upcoming DC TV present that kicks off the DCU continuity and can premiere to individuals who have a Max subscription on December 5. With reference to the variations of working at Marvel vs. DC, the actor had this to say:
Properly, that is a terrific query, given how the opposite guys have been in hassle slightly bit. As a result of they acquired, I feel, manner over their skis, so to talk. And I additionally suppose what James and Peter Safran are doing, the place they’re hiring one actor to do stay motion and to do animation – the voice work – it creates a cohesiveness, and an understanding of the character. However, extra importantly, [Gunn] understands make the most of them in every story. And so there’s not an egregious quantity of people that you’re like, ‘Why is he (right here)? What’s this? Are they attempting to throw this character in simply because?’ They’ve a special method. We’ll see the way it works out. However I really feel a distinction in it.
It’s an fascinating perspective, though I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out two issues. One, Marvel Studios not engaged on animated initiatives when Frank Grillo got here aboard, so having actors play characters in each live-action and animated varieties wasn’t a priority. Two, it’s humorous he’s speaking about an “egregious variety of folks” contemplating that Grillo is a part of the stacked forged of James Gunn’s Superman, as that upcoming DC film doesn’t simply embrace Man of Metal mainstays like Lois Lane and Lex Luthor, but in addition characters like Man Gardner, Hawkgirl, Mr. Terrific and Metamorpho.
Nonetheless, I see what Frank Grillo is getting at with speaking about how James Gunn, who co-captains the DC Studios ship with producer Peter Safran, takes nice care in ensuring there’s a superb cause to incorporate characters in these DCU initiatives for story causes slightly than simply as a result of it’s an choice to throw them in. Grillo additionally mentioned the next about enjoying Brock Rumlow and the way he presently feels about DC:
I used to be a secondary character, and possibly a tertiary character, in that world. However being in it, and watching what’s evolving, I feel the sky is the restrict for DC. I actually do.
He’s proper that Rumlow was a secondary antagonist at finest in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and whereas he did give the Avengers some hassle in the beginning of Captain America: Civil Conflict, he was rapidly killed off. Then Grillo cameoed as an alternate timeline model of the character in Avengers: Endgame from the Winter Soldier period, however in the end Grillo was a personality missing in depth. In distinction, Rick Flag Sr. is about to be a extra necessary supporting character/ensemble participant within the DC Universe, and from what he’s seen to this point, Grillo is assured that this franchise has nice issues forward of it.
Following his animated debut as Rick Flag Sr. in Creature Commandos, Frank Grillo will painting the character in live-action for Superman, which can open in theaters on July 11, 2025. After that, he’ll return for Peacemaker Season 2, which is predicted to debut someday in August on the 2025 TV schedule.