Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman)
Three generations of character have borne the name Rick Flag – the first of which appeared in the original Suicide Squad comic stories in 1959. The second generation (his son, Rick Flag Jr.) headed up 2 variations of the Suicide Squad. The third (his grandson, Rick Flag III) is a young boy that has appeared as a plot device in later stories.
The original Rick Flag led the Suicide Squadron in World War II and was ultimately the only survivor. President Truman subsequently asked him to head up Task Force X, which was designed to replace the Justice Society of America in 1951. Rick Flag Jr. replaced his father in that squad, and was eventually approached by government agents to lead Amanda Waller’s newly formed Suicide Squad – though he struggled with working alongside the criminals on the team, which generated particular tension between Flag Jr and Deadshot. Flag Jr.’s mental and emotional stability were frequently challenged and damaged by the missions undertaken by the Squad – including the death of girlfriend – and Squad medic – Karin Grace.
Eventually, in the source material, Flag Jr, is killed in action and later resurrected, somewhat controversially. Suicide Squad: Raise The Flag #2 reveals that Flag Jr. is actually Anthony Miller – a soldier brainwashed by General Wade Eiling into thinking he was the son of Flag, and so providing opportunity for Eiling to seize control of the Squad.
Due to the history of the character, the name of Rick Flag is synonymous with the Suicide Squad, and his skillset is a significant part of that. He is highly experienced in military strategy and has Special Forces training, as well as capabilities in guerrilla tactics, demolitions, stealth, surveillance and infiltration. His central position in the history of the Squad dictates that he will almost certainly have a large role to play in the Suicide Squad film.
