Joel Kinnaman Hangs Up Rick Flag Jr.’s Dog Tags: Peacemaker Was His Last DCU Mission

Alright, so if you thought Joel Kinnaman might pop up again as Rick Flag Jr. in James Gunn's revamped DC Universe, go ahead and cross that dream off your list. The actor just confirmed, flat-out, that his days in the yellow shirt are officially over.

Kinnaman's DC Run: The Quick Recap

If you need a refresher (and who could blame you, DC continuity is a maze), Kinnaman played Rick Flag Jr.—basically the no-nonsense soldier babysitting a bunch of supervillains—in both the 2016 Suicide Squad (the one that got slaughtered by critics) and Gunn's 2021 The Suicide Squad (which at least had some fun killing off nearly half its cast in the first act). Flag was even one of only four actors to survive both movies—well, until he didn’t.

His big exit? A brutal, pretty memorable showdown with John Cena’s Peacemaker, all for spilling some not-so-flattering government secrets about Project Starfish. If you only know that as 'the giant starfish kaiju thing,' yeah, that’s exactly what it was.

'It’s Over'

Kinnaman broke the news himself talking to ScreenRant:

'I would say so.'

—that’s literally his answer when asked if we’ve seen the last of Rick Flag in the DCU. No hedging, no 'maybe as a multiverse variant.' Just, done.

The Multiverse Side Trip

And in true comic-book fashion, Flag couldn't just stay dead. Kinnaman did a surprise cameo in Peacemaker Season 2, episode 3—sort of. He played an alternate version of Flag on Earth-X, where he was dating Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland). Kinnaman himself called this guy a 'mealy-mouthed Rick,' which, honestly, makes sense for a mirror universe.

Why This Is Actually Logical

Look, there’s no real mystery here. Rick Flag Jr. got stabbed in the heart. The show even leans into his death heavily, with Frank Grillo (famous from the Marvel universe, now crashing DC) coming in as Rick Flag Sr., the vengeful dad out to ruin Peacemaker’s day in Season 2. So if you’re hoping Kinnaman’s run is going to sprawl into the new post-Gunn DCU, you’re tilting at windmills.

What Happens Next?

• Frank Grillo’s Rick Flag Sr. isn’t going anywhere. He’s already appeared in Creature Commandos, Superman, and Peacemaker Season 2.
• Grillo's also lined up for Man of Tomorrow (that’s the 2027 DC film), sharing the screen with Superman and Lex Luthor, going up against, of all things, Brainiac.
• If you’re feeling nostalgic, you can catch all of Kinnaman’s Rick Flag appearances on HBO Max—both the grim and the slightly ridiculous alternate universe versions.

So that’s the end of the road for Joel Kinnaman in the DC universe. Not a huge shock, but there’s no room for wishful thinking now. Onward to flag-waving dads and whatever wild storylines James Gunn cooks up next.