There are plenty of upcoming DC TV shows on the way as well, and arguably one of the most anticipated is the second season of Peacemaker. Filming on Season 2 in April and, since then, James Gunn and co. have been sharing occasional behind-the-scenes nuggets from the set. Now, it looks like one of those social media tidbits has revealed that a major character from The Suicide Squad is returning, and it’s Rick Flag, who was played by Joel Kinnaman. This may come as a surprise to some, but I think I know how Flag will return.
How Was Joel Kinnaman’s Return Seemingly Revealed?
This supposed casting has yet to be officially confirmed by James Gunn or any of the other bigwigs at DC Studios, as of this writing. Joel Kinnaman’s casting was seemingly alluded to by Peter Sollett, who’s set to serve as a director on Season 2 of the aforementioned show. This weekend, he posted to his Instagram, sharing a photo of a clapboard. He also dropped in a message of gratitude, in which he shouted out producer James Gunn as well as actors like John Cena, Danielle Brooks and Kinnaman. You can check out his post down below:
It goes without saying that this is quite the surprise, considering how Rick Flag’s arc played out in 2021’s The Suicide Squad. Flag was killed by John Cena’s Christopher Smith a.k.a. Peacemaker himself after attempting to leak the U.S. government’s involvement in unsanctioned experiments to the public. It was a tough moment and one that haunted Christopher throughout just about the entirety of the first season of his eponymous show.
But, with Flag dead, you may be wondering how exactly he might be brought back for the series. Well, the answer may be quite simple.
What Could The Producers Be Planning For Rick Flag’s Return?
There are a few possible ways that the writers could bring back Rick Flag, aside from straight-up resurrecting the war hero, of course. An obvious way to do it is through the use of flashbacks, likely some that feature the character’s father, Rick Flag Sr., who’s being introduced and played by Frank Grillo in Peacemaker Season 2. Honestly, Peter Sollett’s post alone may indicate that this is how the younger Flag will be brought back. Sollett’s message indicates that he did work with Grillo and, with Joel Kinnaman shouted out as well, there’s at least a chance that the two will appear on screen together.
Peacemaker Season 2: An Updated Cast List, Including John Cena
Considering what we know about James Gunn’s show though, there’s also another manner in which the military veteran could return. The writers might bring him back as a figment of Christopher Smith’s imagination. The titular antihero has a lot of demons, and the Season 1 finale seemed to indicate that he'd see visions of his late father – white supremacist supervillain White Dragon – who was killed during the events of that season. Or, in an even more interesting twist, maybe Frank Grillo’s Flag Sr. will have hallucinations of his deceased son. Just how close the Flags were is unclear right now, but there’s certainly a possibility that Sr. is haunted by any shortcomings he had as a dad.
Regardless of how Rick Flag’s apparent return plays into the proceedings, his death will loom large on the season, it seems. That’s because there’s going to be bad blood between Smith and Flag Sr. due to the former killing Jr. I expect this subplot to be relatively interesting, and don’t be surprised if Sr. and Smith come to blows at some point.
What this new development seems to do as a whole, though, is further hammer down the notion that The Suicide Squad is now DCU canon. As a DC fan myself, I’m honestly still not entirely clear on how the former DCEU production is now part of this new continuity, but I certainly won’t complain about it. Here’s hoping that Joel Kinnaman’s apparent return in the role of Rick Flag is well crafted and above all else, important to Peacemaker Season 2’s narrative.
A premiere date has yet to be announced for the second season of Peacemaker, but it’ll consist of eight episodes and be available to Max subscription holders. For now, you can stream the first season on the platform as well as The Suicide Squad and other DC productions.
