The Perfect Actor Wants To Play Batman Villain Clayface [Exclusive]

The new DC Universe is well underway, with "Creature Commandos" having already premiered on Max and James Gunn's "Superman" hitting theaters this summer. But it's not just the obvious DC Comics A-listers making their way to the big screen in the new DCU, as some interesting, lesser-known characters are going to take the spotlight as well. One key example is "Clayface," a new movie that is set to arrive next year and will focus on the "Batman" villain of the same name. While no actor has been cast as of this writing, the perfect candidate has just emerged.

/Film's BJ Colangelo recently spoke with David Dastmalchian ("Dune," "The Boogeyman") in honor of his new Apple TV+ series "Murderbot." The actor stars in the show as Gurathin, a human who has been augmented with a feed interface, meaning he has distinct advantages when it comes to interpreting and hacking computers. When asked what made him want to add him to his growing roster of distinctive characters, Dastmalchain had this to say:

"The thing that made me want to add it to my roster was honestly, first and foremost, the people involved. That's the most important thing to me. You're going to spend precious hours of your life, which is so short, with people making something? It's the people. And Paul and Chris [Weitz] are very special human beings. I am always looking for something that scares me, looking for something that's outside of the realm of what I've normally gotten the opportunity to do. Something that's going to take me to a new place where I can push myself."

That seems like a damn fine reason for an actor to play a part in a TV show, but what's that got to do with "Clayface?" 

Unprompted, Dastmalchian brought up the DC character when further explaining his line of thinking as an actor, making it pretty clear that he'd like the chance to play the part (provided the opportunity):

"I grew up obsessed with the work of artists like Lon Chaney, who transformed in both visual and energetic ways. And I love the idea of running into somebody and them saying, 'You remind me of the guy that kind of was like the person in The Thing, but that couldn't be you.' I dream of that. I dream of being truly transformative, and I'll just keep working at it for the rest of my life so I can be like Clayface. I want to be Clayface."

In the comics, several people have embodied Clayface, but, generally speaking, he's a doomed soul who transforms into a super strong pile of, well, clay. Dastmalchian is no stranger to comics or the DC Universe for that matter. He previously played Polka-Dot Man in Gunn's "The Suicide Squad," in addition to writing comics like "Count Crowley." He's also played multiple roles in Marvel's "Ant-Man" movies, not to mention a memorable bit part in Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight."

On top of the acting chops and a passion for the material, Dastmalchian has also got the right look. It all makes sense. Moreover, it's worth pointing out that Gunn, who is now the co-head of DC Studios, has already started bringing back actors from the old DC Extended Universe to play different roles in the DCU. Jason Momoa played Aquaman in the DCEU; now he's playing Lobo in the DCU's "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow." That is to say, Dastmalchian doesn't just feel like good casting for Clayface, but he feels like probable casting as well.

This particular film originated from the mind of horror master Mike Flanagan ("Doctor Sleep," "The Haunting of Hill House"), with "Clayface" being described as an R-rated body horror picture. James Watkins ("Speak No Evil") is currently on board to direct the film, which is expected to begin production this summer. More recently, Hossein Amini ("Drive," "Obi-Wan Kenobi") was brought on board to rewrite the script. So, we should be learning casting details sooner rather than later. Stay tuned.

"Clayface" is currently set to hit theaters on September 11, 2026.