Joel Kinnaman’s return asThe Suicide Squad’s Rick Flag in theDCU’sPeacemakerseason 2 seems much more likely now.The DCU’s"Gods and Monsters"chapteris set to introduce a brand-new DC continuity with new versions of characters like Superman, Batman, and the Green Lanterns. Yet,at least eight DCEU actorsare returning to play a rebooted version of their characters. Most of these characters will appear inPeacemakerseason 2: Peacemaker, Vigilante, Loeta Adebayo, Emilia Harcourt, and John Economos.
How muchJames Gunn’sPeacemakerseason 2will acknowledge the events of the previous season is yet to be revealed. However, Chris Smith’s first DCU adventure will likely carry over several elements from its predecessor. After all, Peacemaker’s character arc can’t stagnate in order to explain its new continuity. This, in turn, suggests that the DCU’s Peacemaker likely experienced the events ofThe Suicide Squad, where Rick Flag inspired him to be more heroic. However, it’s also possible that the DCU’s Rick Flag survived the reboot’s version ofThe Suicide Squad.
Where Rumors Of Joel Kinnaman’s Peacemaker Season 2 Return Started
Joel Kinnaman Was Tagged On An Instagram Post Celebrating Peacamekr Season 2’s Filming
Apart fromPeacemakerseason 1’s returning actors,Peacemakerseason 2’s cast includes Frank Grillo, who will make his DCU debut inCreature Commandosas Rick Flag’s father, Rick Flag Sr. Rick Flag Sr.’s appearance inPeacemakerseason 2 sets up a revenge story, with Flag Sr. possibly hunting down Chris Smith to avenge his son. Surprisingly, though,Peacemakerseason 2 director Peter Sollett tagged Joel Kinnamanon anInstagrampost in July 2024, celebrating the show’s first week of filming, which strongly suggests that Rick Flag Jr. will return.
In the comics, Rick Flag Sr. leads the Suicide Squadron — the very first version of the Suicide Squad, created in WWII.
Sollett deleted Joel Kinnaman’s tag from hisInstagrampost shortly afterward, but this only reinforced the theory that Joel Kinnaman’s return is planned to be one ofPeacemakerseason 2’s biggest surprises. IfPeacemakerseason 2 does feature Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag Jr., his sudden arrival would have a bigger impact if the actor’s return wasn’t announced beforehand. This scenario is only made possible by the DCU reboot,
Joel Kinnaman’s Peacemaker Season 2 Debunk Is A Little Too Much, In My Opinion
Joel Kinnaman Emphatically Denies The Possibility Of Ever Appearing In A Show Like Peacemaker
On October 4th, 2024,Joel Kinnaman addressed his rumoredPeacemakerseason 2 returnwhile speaking toScreen Rant.Kinnaman was quick to deny the rumors, saying,“I don’t know what to say. That’s ridiculous. I would never. I would never be on a show like that. It’s not what I do. It’s not what I do.“Given that Joel Kinnaman starred in the visually extravagant, gory, and darkly comedicThe Suicide Squad, his apparent rejection of a similarly violent and humorousPeacemakerseason 2 (also helmed by James Gunn), sounds dubious.
Joel Kinnaman could be refuting his return as Rick Flag Jr. in order to keep hisPeacemakerseason 2 appearance a secret
It’s no longer rare for actors to deny their appearance in superhero movies and shows, only for them to star in them anyway. For instance, Andrew Garfield strongly denied the rumors about his return as Spider-Man inSpider-Man: No Way Homeand Patrick Stewart did the same for his role as Professor X inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Yet, both Marvel actors reprised their roles. Similarly, Joel Kinnaman could be refuting his return as Rick Flag Jr. to keep hisPeacemakerseason 2 appearance a secret.
How Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag Jr Can Return Despite His Death In The Suicide Squad
There’s More Than One Way To Bring Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag Jr After His Death
The DCU reboot technically allows all dead DCEU characters to return without the need for a detailed explanation.The character with the higher likelihood of coming back from the dead thanks to the DCU reboot is precisely Rick Flag Jr., as he was introduced in a project directed by James Gunn and closely connected to the events ofPeacemakerseason 1. In the DCU’s continuity, the events ofThe Suicide Squadmight have also resulted in the conflict between Chris Smith and Rick Flag Jr., but Flag might not have died during their battle.
James Gunn has teased some design changes for Peacemaker season 2, setting up a promising way to explain the canon jump from the DCEU to the new DCU.
There’s a different way to bring Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag Jr. back without having to undo his death in any way. Frank Grillo’s Rick Flag Sr. will allegedly deal with the unfinished business he has with Peacemaker, meaning that his son’s death may be what put him in conflict with Chris Smith inPeacemakerseason 2. Therefore, Joel Kinnaman could return as Rick Flag Jr. in the form of flashbacks — both for Rick Flag Sr. and for Peacemaker. These flashbacks would be key to contextualizing the enmity between Flag Sr. and Chris Smith inPeacemakerseason 2’s new continuity.
