The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a behemoth force in the entertainment world, one that plenty of actors have gotten in on through the years. Frank Grillo played Crossbones in a few notable projects (which are streaming with a Disney+ subscription), but he's also one of the actors who have worked with both Marvel and DC. And the 59 year-old actor recently explained why he likes the DCU more... and I totally get it.
Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order have seen Grillo play his villainous role and and off for years. But now he's on the DC side of things, voicing a character in the already-renewed Creature Commandos (which is streaming with a Max subscription). While speaking with EW About his time voicing Rick Flag Sr., he explained why he's so thrilled being at the inception of the DCU. In his words:
Marvel’s a different machine, and it’s great in its own right, but the thing I love about James’s and Peter’s DC is that it’s much more contained. It’s so much more personal and I really enjoy it better. I just love being part of something in the embryonic stage and being able to grow with it and watch it and flourish.
Honestly, that does sound preferable. While Grillo jumped into the MCU when it was already going strong, he's there at the start of the DCU. By comparison, Creature Commandos is the first installment in Gods and Monsters, which is the name for the first slate of projects. So the first season could be the start of a longer journey through the superhero genre, one that he's got a vested interest in from the jump.
Grillo debuted in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, being seemingly killed off in Civil War. But that didn't stop him from continuing to play the role through a role in Endgame's Time Heist as well as the animated series What If...?. He's once again performing to a microphone for Creature Commandos, and is one of the show's main characters rather than a tertiary presence. That's likely another reason why he's preferring his time in DC.
Creature Commandos is an animated series about another group of DC convicts being forced to do Amanda Waller's bidding. But since she's no longer allowed to use Task Force X with humans, she's instead dipping into a pool of supernatural entities and monsters.
Like his son played by Joel Kinnaman, Rick Flag Sr. is meant to be Waller's eyes in the field, as he tries to make a team out of the Creature Commandos. It's unclear how deep this narrative will go, but a second season is already on the way. And there's definitely fans who want to see Grillo played Flag in live-action.
Creature Commandos is streaming now on Max, and the DCU will debut in theaters with Superman on July 11th. For now, check the 2025 movie release dates.
