Actor Joel Kinnaman will reprise his DCEU character in James Gunn’s upcoming franchise production The Suicide Squad. In David Ayer’s 2016 film Suicide Squad, Kinnaman stars as Colonel Rick Flag, the leader of Task Force X - a government-assembled team of criminals trying to saving the world. 

Kinnaman confirmed on Instagram that he’ll reprise his role as Rick Flag in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. While details are minimal at this point, the news has been ramping up over the past several weeks. In January, it was reported that Gunn was in talks with Warner Bros. to direct The Suicide Squad with new characters. The news came after he’d previously been fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 for controversial tweets he posted between 2008 and 2012. In March, though, Gunn was re-hired to direct the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

As for The Suicide Squad, Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn is expected to be part of the film, and Viola Davis is reprising her role as Amanda Waller along with Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang. In addition, Idris Elba will portray an entirely new character, negating rumors that he would replace Will Smith as Deadshot. The Suicide Squad is scheduled for Summer 2021 release. It will mark the 11th film in the DCEU cinematic franchise, and will be preceded by Cathy Yan’s Birds of Prey, Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman 1984, and Matt Reeves’ The Batman. For the aforementioned Birds of Prey, Robbie will star as Harley Quinn, one of the original cast members from Suicide Squad. Written by Christina Hodson, Birds of Prey is scheduled for a February 2020 release. 

Later this year, Kinnaman will star opposite Rosamund Pike in the British crime thriller The Informer. Before starting training for The Suicide Squad, he was filming the crime movie The Sound of Philadelphia. Given Kinnaman’s momentum as a bankable A-list action star, it makes perfect sense that he would return as Rick Flag for The Suicide Squad. But it will be interesting to see how Gunn incorporates the character into the narrative, and whether Rick Flag will remain a military-minded figure, or receive more depth. Kinnaman doesn’t need to outshine the rest of the cast, but he could use some deeper material to work with, perhaps even in regards to Rick Flag’s relationship with June Moone aka. Enchantress.

More: The Marvel/DC War is Over, Thanks to James Gunn

Source: Joel Kinnaman/Instagram

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