The DCU Already Has A Huge Villain Plot Hole, But A Wild Theory Might Fix It

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The new DC Universe, as established by James Gunn, may have a plot inconsistency in season 2 of *Peacemaker*. A clever fan theory offers a solution to this confusion. The season has surprised viewers by taking the DCU in unexpected directions, introducing concepts like Earth X and the organizations Salvation and Checkmate. Notably, a character already known within the DCU unexpectedly became a villain during the season.

Frank Grillo joined the DC Universe in 2024 by voicing Rick Flag Sr. in the animated series *Creature Commandos*. As the father of the late Rick Flag Jr. (from *The Suicide Squad*), the older Rick Flag led Task Force M in *Creature Commandos* and later became the new director of ARGUS in *Superman* (July 2025). Grillo continued in the role for season 2 of *Peacemaker*, but the character’s story arc was uneven, and a shift in his personality has left some viewers puzzled.

Rick Flag Sr. Wasn’t Acting Like Himself in Peacemaker Season 2

Throughout *Creature Commandos* and even *Superman*, Rick Flag Sr. seemed to either respect or, at least, not dislike people with superpowers – known as Metahumans. He led a team called Task Force M, which was made up entirely of Metahumans, and developed relationships with each of its members. The finale of *Creature Commandos* showed him planning a new Metahuman team for the next season, hinting that he would continue this approach. He also appeared friendly and respectful towards David Corenswet’s Superman in his first appearance. However, season two of *Peacemaker* revealed a drastically different side to Rick Flag.

I was really thrown when Rick Flag Sr. showed up in *Peacemaker* Season 2! He seems to have this intense grudge against anyone with powers, and it all stems from his son’s death – he wanted to punish Peacemaker for it. It’s strange because Peacemaker isn’t even a Metahuman himself! But Flag’s anger quickly grew to include *all* Metahumans. That’s how he discovered the planet Salvation, and started planning to turn it into a prison specifically for them, with Peacemaker as the first inmate. Honestly, it felt really sudden, and I was confused about why he changed so drastically. But I just read a new theory that might explain everything, and it actually makes a lot of sense!

Lex Luthor Replaced Rick Flag Sr. With a Clone: DCU Theory Explained

After the changes Rick Flag went through in season 2 of *Peacemaker*, some viewers think the Flag we see isn’t the original. A popular theory proposes that Lex Luthor secretly cloned Rick Flag Sr. and swapped him with a double. During season 2, Flag visited Luthor at Belle Reve – with Nicholas Hoult returning as Luthor from *Superman* – and they made a curious agreement that hasn’t been fully explained. It appeared Flag successfully arranged for Luthor’s transfer to Van Kull, but it’s possible Luthor also manipulated Flag in return.

Rick Flag Sr. underwent a significant shift in behavior after speaking with Lex Luthor while he was in prison, which supports the idea that Luthor is pulling the strings. Following their conversation, Flag aggressively pursued his ‘Salvation’ plan, obtaining a powerful device, releasing Luthor’s former team from prison, and even using Superman’s old control room as his base of operations. He also began opposing metahumans, aligning his views with Luthor’s. This makes it likely that Luthor is controlling Flag, possibly from his base at Van Kull – or perhaps he wasn’t in prison to begin with.

Peacemaker Season 2 May Have Set Up Man of Tomorrow’s Perfect Villain

With Lex Luthor potentially being released from prison by Rick Flag Sr., many believe he’ll return in the upcoming DCU film, *Man of Tomorrow*, planned for 2027. The movie is expected to pit Luthor against Superman in a battle against a major new threat. Recent developments, particularly in *Peacemaker* season 2, suggest the film will continue storylines about Salvation as a metahuman prison and the corruption within ARGUS. Given that Luthor has already been shown cloning someone – Superman himself – it’s plausible he also cloned Rick Flag Sr. to facilitate his escape.

The story had the potential to establish Rick Flag Sr. as a compelling villain in *Man of Tomorrow*, with the larger threat to Lex Luthor and Superman being Ultraman, a clone of Superman. We can expect to see the Superman clone return as Bizarro, and Rick Flag might become even more corrupt, sending more metahumans to join Deadshot at Salvation. The story could end with Lex Luthor revealing himself as the mastermind behind everything, hopefully bringing the original Rick Flag Sr. back into the DC Universe.

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2025-10-14 19:42