Peacemaker Season 2 Adds Frank Grillo To The Cast

The transition from the DC Extended Universe to the DC Universe reboot by James Gunn and Peter Safran isn't a completely clean break from the past. While the major characters, including Superman, are being recast, John Cena is reprising his title role in Peacemaker Season 2. And he'll be going up against Frank Grillo's Rick Flagg Sr., which was one of the first roles cast in the DCU.

Gunn made the announcement on his Threads account, and wrote "Pleased to announce the great [Frank Grillo] will be reprising the role of Rick Flag, Sr.--the role he'll first play in animated form in Creature Commandos--throughout Season 2 of Peacemaker. Christopher Smith and Rick Sr. have a little unfinished business to take care of…"

The unfinished business that Gunn is referring to happened in The Suicide Squad, when Peacemaker/Christopher Smith murdered Rick Flag Jr., as played by Joel Kinnaman. Peacemaker carried over the guilt about his actions into his self-titled series. Gunn's comments suggests that the events of the movie and the show remain in-continuity after the reboot.

Grillo played Brock Rumlow/Crossbones in two Captain America movies, Avengers: Endgame, and a few episodes of Marvel's What If...?. Gunn subsequently cast Grillo as one of the primary cast members of Creature Commandos, a team of misfits led by Rick Flagg Sr. and Viola Davis' Amanda Waller. At the time that the Creature Commandos animated series was announced, Gunn indicated that some of the actors would also portray their characters in live-action. Grillo is the first confirmed performer to do so in the DCU.

Creature Commandos is expected to premiere later in 2024. Peacemaker Season 2 doesn't currently have a release date.