Actor Joel Kinnaman has officially closed the book on his time as Rick Flag Jr. in the DC Universe. Speaking with ScreenRant’s Liam Crowley on the web series Coffee Chats, Kinnaman confirmed that his character’s story has reached its end. When asked if fans had seen the last of Flag, Kinnaman said simply, “I would say so.”
Kinnaman first led Task Force X in the 2016 film Suicide Squad directed by David Ayer, returning in James Gunn’s 2021 follow-up The Suicide Squad. The second film arrived in the middle of the pandemic and marked a turning point for Warner Bros.’ DC franchise. Gunn’s success with the movie later earned him the top job as co-CEO of DC Studios alongside producer Peter Safran, setting the tone for the studio’s current reboot strategy.
Flag’s death in The Suicide Squad was one of the movie’s most emotional moments. The character fell in a brutal fight with John Cena’s Peacemaker as he tried to expose a government cover-up connected to Project Starfish. Kinnaman briefly returned to the role in Season 2 of Peacemaker, appearing as an alternate version of Rick Flag in an Earth-X reality where he dated Jennifer Holland’s Emilia Harcourt. “It was kind of an alternate universe, mealy-mouthed Rick,” Kinnaman joked, noting that it was a fun farewell to the part.
With Flag Jr. gone, the DC Universe will now spotlight his father, portrayed by Frank Grillo. Rick Flag Sr. is already influencing the new storyline in Peacemaker Season 2 and Creature Commandos. He is also set for appearances in Superman and 2027’s Man of Tomorrow, where he will stand alongside Superman and Lex Luthor against Brainiac. The role points to Gunn’s long-term plans to connect his film and series lineup, giving more structure to a brand that struggled for years to match the consistency of Marvel’s output.
Kinnaman’s exit highlights how Gunn’s evolving DC slate continues to reset older storylines in favor of new beginnings. While fans may miss the disciplined soldier who kept the Suicide Squad in line, the studio’s future appears focused on expanding its fresh cast of characters rather than revisiting the past.
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