The DCU's Rick Flag Sr. actor, Frank Grillo, shared an emotional farewell video following James Gunn and Peter Safran's exit from DC Studios. Grillo has been integral to Gunn's vision from day one, making his DCU debut in the universe's first project, Creature Commandos. His Rick Flag received one of the most layered character arcs, transitioning from the tough leader of Task Force M to the director of ARGUS in Peacemaker Season 2, where he relentlessly hunted John Cena's Christopher Smith over the killing of his son.
Frank Grillo shared his touching parting message for the DC Studios co-CEOs on Instagram, with the caption: "Thank you for what has been and incredibly creative and fun journey brothers. Excited to see what we're doing next as you'll never ever rid yourselves of me. love you both immensely. thank you @jamesgunn & #PeterSafran."
In the footage itself, the actor reflected on the time he shared with the pair while they were in charge at the studio, describing them as "the most passionate and loving and creative human beings" that he has ever had the chance to work with:
"I feel like now that the dust has settled a bit, and every jerk off with an Instagram handle has an opinion — I just wanted to publicly thank two of the finest men that I've met in this business, in Peter Safran and James Gunn. Two of the most loyal guys. Two of the most passionate and loving and creative human beings that I've had the pleasure and the honor of getting to work with just amazing, amazing experience with both of them, with everything from Creature Commandos to Peacemaker, to Superman, and now to Man of Tomorrow."
Although Gunn and Safran are leaving DC, Grillo has every intention of working with them again in the future, saying, "I look forward to what we're going to do next":
"It's been extraordinary. It's been a gift, and these two gentlemen are an example of what class and what men are really capable of in Hollywood. And whether you like their movies or not is irrelevant to me, but on a personal level, there just aren't two better human beings that I've come across, and I consider both of them dear, dear friends. I would even pick Peter up at the airport. Maybe not James, but Peter, definitely, I pick him up at the airport. So, anyway, I want to thank you boys, and I look forward to what we're going to do next."
Gunn and Safran's departure comes after Skydance announced on Monday, November 9, that the pair will be stepping down as co-CEOs and co-chairmen of DC Studios. Marvel veteran Jeremy Latcham has been hired to take over as president and chief creative officer, overseeing DC's film, television, and animation slate when the transition takes effect on December 1.
Latcham was one of Marvel Studios' earliest employees, joining in 2004 and rising to senior vice president of production and development, with executive producer credits on The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Spider-Man: Homecoming before he left in 2017.
The decision came as a surprise to DC fans, with the new bosses making their presence felt just weeks after the takeover. Paramount's $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery only closed in October, and Skydance boss David Ellison named Gunn and Safran to his leadership team just weeks before announcing their exit.
The co-CEOs lasted only four years in the job, delivering a slew of DCU projects that included Superman, Supergirl, Clayface, Lanterns, Peacemaker, and Creature Commandos, with Man of Tomorrow and the HBO Max series The People v. Gorilla Grodd in post-production for a 2027 release.
What Does the Future Look Like for Frank Grillo in the DCU?
Grillo is very loyal to Gunn, and their relationship predates their time at DC. The two worked together at Marvel, where Grillo played Brock Rumlow, better known as Crossbones, in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War, briefly reprising the role in Avengers: Endgame.
He then followed Gunn to DC, where the DC Studios chief made him one of the leading faces of the DCU, with appearances in Creature Commandos, Peacemaker, Superman, and the upcoming Man of Tomorrow.
Rick Flag is an obscure character, and the reason he received such a big spotlight in the universe is down to Gunn. With Skydance looking to go in a very different direction from Gunn's vision, it is hard to see Flag getting anywhere near the attention he enjoyed under the old regime.
Skydance spent a ton of money to acquire Warner Bros., and from the looks of things, the studio wants to recoup its investment fast by focusing on bigger IPs such as Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman.
Reports that have made the rounds since the departure indicate that a big part of why Gunn and Safran were let go was the DCU's lack of box office draw. The new bosses were reportedly unimpressed with the $619 million that Superman, the highest-grossing movie in the DCU, managed to rake in.
Supergirl's disappointing numbers were also said to be an issue, with the film topping out at around $126 million worldwide on a reported $170 million budget, while Clayface performed modestly with $109 million on a $44 million budget. Skydance even notably failed to acknowledge Supergirl in the profile it wrote for Gunn on its new website.
With this in mind, it is hard to imagine shows like Creature Commandos and Peacemaker fitting into Skydance's plans, and there is a real chance neither returns, even though a second season of Creature Commandos was previously announced. That puts Grillo's place at DC in a tricky spot, since those shows are integral to his character. He does play a supporting role in Superman, an IP that Skydance will likely make a priority.
After Man of Tomorrow, Gunn is rumored to be writing a third Superman movie, and Grillo's Rick Flag could appear there. The director also revealed in his departure message that he is not done working with DC characters, so it is possible he still makes movies for DC under the new stewardship, with Grillo's character appearing in them.
Geraldo Amartey is a writer at The Direct. He joined the team in 2025, bringing with him four years of experience covering entertainment news, pop culture, and fan-favorite franchises for sites like YEN, Briefly and Tuko.
