James Gunn Clears Up Rick Flag Sr.’s Role in SUPERMAN, and It’s Not What Fans Thought
Ever since the Superman trailer dropped, DC fans have been trying to figure out exactly what Frank Grillo’s Rick Flag Sr. is doing in the new DCU, and specifically, what title he holds. Is he the Secretary of Defense? Is he running ARGUS? Or both?
The confusion hit some fans during a moment in the trailer, Lois Lane says the Secretary of Defense will be keeping a close eye on Superman, and the next shot shows Grillo’s Flag Sr.
That led many to assume he was playing the Defense Secretary in the DCU. But then Peacemaker Season 2’s teaser landed, and it revealed that Flag Sr. is now running ARGUS. So… which is it?
Thankfully, James Gunn just stepped in to settle the debate. A fan asked Gunn on Threads:
“Is Rick Flag senior the secretary of defense or is that just the way the trailer is edited I thought he was running ARGUS now?”
Gunn responded plainly:
“He’s the head of ARGUS. But he works beside the Secretary of Defense General Mori.”
So, Flag Sr. is in charge of ARGUS (Advanced Research Group Uniting Super-Humans), but works closely with top-level government officials like General Mori.
Frank Grillo has already made his animated debut in the role with Creature Commandos, and this character is clearly being set up as a major connective thread in Gunn’s new DCU.
Back in November 2024, Grillo offered his own perspective on Flag Sr.’s place in the DCU, drawing comparisons to another familiar face from a different cinematic universe:
“I get a little bit of a Sam Jackson vibe. It’s that kind of thing where he can swing through for a little bit, like in Superman, and have a critical, pivotal role, and then a bigger role, certainly, in Peacemaker, a very crucial role, and then is the leader of the team on Creature Commandos.”
He added:
“So, yeah, I don’t know what the future holds, but I think Rick Flag is kind of the head of ARGUS, like the MCU with Jackson. I mean, you never know. It’s kind of endless.”
Flag Sr. is clearly here to stay, and it sounds like he’ll be showing up exactly where Gunn and the DCU stories need to be.