Frank Grillo, the actor portraying Rick Flag Sr. in the DC Universe, has recently commented on the character’s journey in the franchise as well as James Gunn’s creative process in comparison to that of the MCU. Grillo is one of the actors who played a role in the first official DCU project, with his last appearance coming in the ending of Creature Commandos. Now that Rick Flag Sr. has been established in the franchise, he is set to appear in James Gunn’s Superman movie. Grillo’s third DCU appearance in 12 months for the actor and his character will then come in Peacemaker season 2.

In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant, Grillo was asked about his DCU role. Specifically, Grillo was questioned on how much of his role he knows in advance, considering his three appearances in 2025 alone. Grillo replied:

“All of it! This is why James Gunn is the perfect man to do this. When he asked me to do the role in Creature Commandos, he sent me every script, and not a word was changed. And then when he asked me to do Peacemaker, he sent me every script, and not a word was changed. My role in Superman has a lot to do with Peacemaker, so it is connective tissue. And, of course, not a word has changed… But because [the arc] is also constantly evolving, you need to be involved in how the characters change a lot more… Gunn’s all about the script – script, script, script.”

To make things even more interesting, Grillo unpromptedly compared Gunn’s process in the DCU to the MCU and Kevin Feige’s handling of that franchise. Grillo appeared in three MCU movies, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, and Avengers: Endgame, stating:

“Whereas Marvel, they’ll start a movie – part of it. And they have a script, but it’s not really a script. You start in, and then halfway through, you’re like, ‘Uh oh…’ I personally prefer scripts to be [fleshed out]… the way James Gunn is running DC is the anтιтhesis to how Kevin Feige’s been running Marvel, and it – to me – is a better fit.“

According to Grillo, Gunn’s scripting process is much more thorough than Marvel’s. Based on what is known about the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, this may have some merit. Either way, Grillo has clearly been thoroughly filled in regarding his DCU future.

What Frank Grillo’s DC Universe Comments Mean For The Franchise

The DCU Is Seemingly In Good Hands

Concerning what Grillo’s comments mean for the wider DCU, it proves that Gunn is the right man for the job. Putting the Marvel comparisons aside and looking at the DC Universe in a vacuum, it is refreshing to see a filmmaker so dedicated to the scriptwriting process. The first DCU announcement in January 2023 saw Gunn claiming that “storytelling is always king. That’s all that matters to us.” Based on Grillo’s comments, it seems as though this is translating well.

Gunn’s dedication to making sure scripts, storylines, and overarching character appearances are known beforehand will only benefit the DCU. This way, the interconnectivity of the franchise will thrive and feel natural. Moreover, individual DCU installments will only be improved by this, as all actors, producers, directors, and other members of the crew will be fully aware of the story and how it leads into the franchise’s future well ahead of shooting.

Our Take On Frank Grillo’s DC Universe Comments

The DCU Is Appealing To Hollywood Actors

What makes Grillo’s comments even more interesting to me is how they prove some Hollywood performers may prefer the DCU’s format to the MCU’s. Grillo is certainly one of these people, stating that Gunn’s DCU process is a better fit for superhero franchises than what the MCU is doing. This leads me to believe that more actors could see the benefits of the DCU over the MCU, despite the latter’s continued dominance.

While a rivalry between the two has always been depicted as an all-out war online, the storytelling strengths of one will only benefit the other. This could simply be another way of that happening, be it Marvel trying harder to convince bigger actors to join the franchise in the future or switching the screenwriting process to align more with its compeтιтion. In this way, the DC Universe‘s success can only help Marvel, and vice versa.