Max’s release of Creature Commandos heralds the official start of Peter Safran and James Gunn’s DC Universe. The animated series features Kingdom star Frank Grillo voicing the leader of the squadron, Rick Flag Sr., while there are plans for the character to return in live action in both Superman and Peacemaker Season 2. Yet, here’s the thing: Grillo is wasted in this largely nothing part. He puts in an admirable shift as Flag, for sure, but the actor should have been saved for a much bigger and pivotal role down the line.
This isn’t Grillo’s first rendezvous in the superhero world, as he played Brock Rumlow, aka Crossbones, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, it’s a clear case of déjà vu, because Grillo was also misused in the MCU. The all-action actor deserves better , and it’s time that we talk about how these two universes screwed up golden opportunities here.
Frank Grillo should have been the MCU’s Punisher
When news broke that Frank Grillo joined the MCU, fans rejoiced, believing it might have been as Frank Castle, aka the Punisher. After all, Grillo made himself comfortable in the one-tough-guy-against-the-world genre, so this would have been a match made in heaven for all parties. It didn’t take long for the reality check to hit: Grillo was portraying the villainous Brock Rumlow in Captain America: The Winter Soldier – not the Punisher. Still, fans did their best and started a mini online campaign to see Grillo cast as Marvel’s most lethal vigilante.
Even the actor addressed the chatter in an interview with HeyUGuys, saying, “It’s funny – this started when Cap came out. I heard a few mentions, it was very grassroots. I actually tweeted something about it the other day and so many people responded! It’s kind of how people see me. I almost look like the Punisher! It started out as fun but now I hear it and I raise an eyebrow.”
Ultimately, Jon Bernthal received the nod to play the Punisher – and did a fantastic job as the character if we’re being honest – all but ending the chances of fans ever seeing Grillo in the role. In 2020, Grillo told Uproxx that he wasn’t interested in the Punisher nor playing comic book characters again, since he wanted to focus on his production company with Joe Carnahan. Something changed, though, when James Gunn came knocking for the DCU – and maybe Grillo shouldn’t have accepted the first offer on the table.
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Frank Grillo should have been Deathstroke in the DCU – not Rick Flag Sr.
Joe Manganiello was locked, cocked, and loaded to play Slade Wilson, aka Deathstroke, in the previous iteration of DC films. After being introduced at the end of the Josstice League, the plan was for the character to battle Ben Affleck’s Dark Knight in The Batman and maybe even get a solo film directed by The Raid‘s Gareth Evans. Well, all those ideas and scripts went the way of Christmas lunch, as the DC and Warner Bros. “family” imploded. No one is speaking to each other anymore and blame is flung in all directions over whose fault it is.
It’s a pity. After Manu Bennett’s Slade tormented Oliver Queen in Arrow and established himself as one of the greatest villains in the Arrowverse, everyone wanted to see Deathstroke on the biggest screen imaginable. Someone who’s in a similar type of mold as Bennett is Frank Grillo. He possesses that commanding on-screen presence and knows how to bring the smoke in action scenes. Just imagine Grillo’s Deathstroke facing off against Batman or the Teen Titans in the DCU – not only would he be a threat in hand-to-hand combat situations, but he would also be the total terminator with his arsenal of weapons.
Instead, Grillo portrays Rick Flag Sr., who serves the same sort of role as his son, Rick Jr., did in Suicide Squad and The Suicide Squad. In Creature Commandos, Senior leads a group of misfits whom he needs to wrangle together as a team. Yawn. Granted, it remains to be seen what his role in Superman and Peacemaker entail, but it doesn’t feel like the DCU is playing to Grillo’s strong points as an actor. And DC has thought about Deathstroke recently, since there are rumored plans for a Deathstroke vs. Bane film. Anyone who watched the Teen Titans animated series and/or read the New Teen Titans comics back in the ’80s knows how devilishly delicious Slade is as a bad guy/sometime antihero. It’s a role tailormade for Grillo. But if not him, then who?
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Tell us, would you have rather seen Frank Grillo as Deathstroke rather than Rick Flag Sr.? Let us know in the comments.
