Rick Flag Jr. seems to have come to the end of his DC Universe after years of explosions, loyalty, and complex morality.
Joel Kinnaman has said that his appearance in ‘Peacemaker’ season 2 will be the last time fans will see him in the role of the battle-hardened soldier. It’s a quiet but definitive goodbye, and one that feels more reflective than dramatic.
Rick Flag Jr.’s Story Ends Quietly
Kinnaman didn’t leave much room for interpretation. When questioned whether ‘Peacemaker’ season 2 would be his final appearance, he simply replied yes. For a character who has already died once in ‘The Suicide Squad’, any resurrection was always borrowed time. However, fans never gave up hope.
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Interestingly, his most recent appearance is a slightly different version of Flag, which Kinnaman himself jokingly called an alternate-universe version. “Yeah, I would say so…An alternate universe, mealy-mouthed Rick, as me and James called him,” he told SR. It is lighter, somewhat clumsy, and very different from the hardened leader presented in ‘Suicide Squad’.
That change provided the actor with an opportunity to find humor in a role that previously was characterized by intensity and discipline. And, frankly, that is what makes this departure hurt a bit. The curtain fell just as the character began to feel fresh once again.
How James Gunn Changed The Direction Of Rick Flag Jr.’s Story
Looking back, Kinnaman’s journey through the DC Universe mirrors the franchise’s own evolution. According to his own words, the initial stages of Suicide Squad were a mess, on and off-screen. It was disorderly, unpredictable, and not the most controlled place. Then James Gunn came. The narration was made more precise, the characters more outlined, and the set itself much more concentrated.
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Kinnaman has publicly attributed to Gunn the introduction of a new dimension of professionalism and creativity to the experience. “He’s a mad genius, so it’s hard to know what goes on in that crazy brain of his. James knows that I want to do more comedy, and he thinks I’m funny, so that’s why he wanted to write something that was kind of playing to that.”
Kinnaman did not return for a big comeback arc or a heroic resurrection; he came back to have fun. And maybe that’s the right way to leave it. Although Rick Flag Jr. might not have a future in the re-established DCU schedule, which encompasses projects like ‘Superman’, ‘Lanterns’, and ‘Supergirl’, his appearance does count.
He was among the few level-headed men in a world of chaos, a soldier who attempted to cling to principle in situations that rarely allowed it. Not all characters require a big ending. They simply require a good departure. And this one, in its own modest manner, does just that.
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