Frank Grillo breaks his silence on James Gunn’s DC exit: working with him was “a gift”
With James Gunn and Peter Safran out at DC Studios, Frank Grillo has weighed in — and it’s not the reaction you might expect.
Right, if you've been following the ongoing Shakespearean drama that is DC Studios, you'll have clocked the big news this week—a properly eyebrow-raising shake-up right at the top. Two days after James Gunn and Peter Safran were shown the door as DC's head honchos, Frank Grillo (yes, him: ever the tough bloke in comic book circles) didn’t just sit back and bite his tongue. Instead, he hopped on Instagram and gave the pair a bit of a send-off—one that's surprisingly warm and more heartfelt than you'd expect from a man who's made a living battering comic book baddies.
Frank Grillo called his time working with Gunn and Safran over several DC projects 'extraordinary' and 'a gift.'
The Grillo Tribute
So, background for those keeping score: Frank Grillo is now a steady fixture in DC’s newer lineup, playing Rick Flag Sr. across a suite of DCU projects—he pops up in Superman, Peacemaker, Creature Commandos, and he’s set for Man of Tomorrow next summer. Grillo’s reaction video may have arrived with a low-fi, gym selfie energy, but the message was clear: cheers to Gunn and Safran, and stuff the chatter you’re seeing online.
He didn’t beat about the bush. Grillo described Gunn and Safran as two of the finest, most passionate people he’s worked with in the industry (which, coming from Grillo, actually means something), and highlighted the pair’s loyalty and creativity. Fair to say, according to him, their character off-camera trumps whatever anyone reckons about their films themselves. He even dials it up to calling the whole ride 'extraordinary' and 'a gift'—which is not small praise.
Grillo added that he considers the duo 'dear, dear friends'—then, in true Grillo fashion, joked he'd 'even pick Peter up at the airport. Maybe not James, but Peter definitely.'
The DC Studio Upheaval, in Brief
All this comes after Monday’s announcement that Marvel-alum Jeremy Latcham is taking over as DC Studios’ president, marking the end of Gunn and Safran's tenure that began back in 2022. Their time in the hot seat saw them basically relaunch the DCU from the ground up—a proper rebuild, and not a minor paint job. They’re sticking around just long enough to finish off Man of Tomorrow and the second run of Creature Commandos, then they'll be back to their own creative gigs.
Gunn and Safran's run as DC bosses only lasted from 2022 to 2026.
So, there you have it. For all the chaos and social media noise every time these big changes happen, at least some of the people involved part on actual good terms—and in Grillo’s case, make it public with a wink and a nudge about airport runs. No word yet on who’s next in line for Grillo’s airport Uber.