James Gunn, the showrunner for Peacemaker Season 2, has explained why he kept Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag Jr. as part of the new DC Universe (DCU). Even though Gunn changed the history of the Justice League in The Suicide Squad to introduce the Justice Gang and align with the current DCU storyline, he decided to continue Rick Flag Jr.’s story. Gunn recently shared his reasoning for bringing Kinnaman’s character back for another season of Peacemaker.
James Gunn explains why he carried Rick Flag Jr. from The Suicide Squad over to DCU
James Gunn recently told Collider that Rick Flag Jr. and Emilia Harcourt were already in a relationship during the movie *The Suicide Squad*. He planned to build on this existing connection in the second season of *Peacemaker* to move the story forward.
The director revealed that they and Jen Holland always knew Harcourt and Flag were having an affair during the events of The Suicide Squad. This was the reason Harcourt immediately disliked Peacemaker, starting with the very first episode of the Peacemaker series.
He explained that they were aware of her relationship with him, which went beyond just physical intimacy. He described it as how they both handled personal issues, emphasizing it was fundamentally a friendship, and that this arrangement had been discussed and agreed upon beforehand.
James Gunn also explained that he wanted to showcase Joel Kinnaman’s comedic talent, which is why he brought Rick Flag Jr. back for Peacemaker Season 2. Gunn said Kinnaman is a very funny person who hasn’t had the chance to play a comedic role before.
The director explained that letting the character be so silly and weak was really enjoyable. He was already picturing Joel performing the role while writing it, and Joel delivered exactly what he’d hoped for.
Joel Kinnaman first played Rick Flag Jr. in the 2016 movie *Suicide Squad*, and he returned to the role in James Gunn’s 2021 version of the film. He recently appeared as the character again in Season 2 of *Peacemaker*, solidifying Rick Flag Jr.’s place within the current DC Universe storyline.
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2025-09-19 16:16