In the midst of all the villains featured in Suicide Squad is Rick Flag Jr., the team’s leader. Originally supposed to have been played by Tom Hardy, Joel Kinnaman has since taken the role as government agent put in charge of making sure these criminals don’t get out of hand during missions. However, he isn’t the only famous Flag in the DC Universe, and now it’s been suggested that there’s a role available for actor Ed Harris as Flag’s father.
A recent rumor has been circulating suggesting that Ed Harris might play Rick Flag Sr. in Suicide Squad, and while Harris told ScreenRant that he hasn’t talked with anyone yet, he did mention that his Run All Night co-star Kinnaman may have tried to recruit him for it. The veteran actor told the site,
Joel mentioned that there was something he wanted me to look at, or think about doing, but I don’t know if that was it or not.
Production on Suicide Squad is beginning next month, so unless they plan on filming Harris’ scenes near the end of principal photography, we’ll find out soon enough whether his inclusion is legitimate or not. If it does turn out to be true, then we can expect that he will not only get to spend a solid amount of on-screen time with Joel Kinnaman, but will also get to play off of Viola Davis – who has been confirmed as the titular group’s lead organizer, Amanda Waller.
Although the film is full of super villains (including Jared Leto’s new version of Joker), there hasn’t been a clear antagonist for the story identified. Obviously Amanda Waller fills that role to a degree, since she’s the one holding them captive and can blow them up in an instant, but as far as straight-up bad guys go, Flag Sr. could be an interesting choice. Having 29 years over Kinnaman, Harris is clearly old enough to play the elder Flag. Plus, if the two of them enjoyed working together on Run All Night then it’s likely he would at least consider the role if this is indeed the project that Kinnaman wants him to look at.
In the comics (before DC’s rebooted New 52 line), Flag Sr. was a World War II hero that was recruited by President Harry Truman into Task Force X, specifically to lead the civilian-unit "Suicide Squad," which dealt with masked criminals. When Flag Sr. was killed during a mission, Flag Jr. eventually replaced him. The elder character also played an important role in the animated movie Justice League: The New Frontier. Flag is one of many characters that have been rumored to appear in Suicide Squad lately, including Deathstroke, El Diablo and even Batman.
Suicide Squad will hit theaters on August 5, 2016.
