After getting a writer and director for the DCU debut of a supervillain’s story, Clayface, the studio found their star who will play the role. James Gunn and Peter Safran have fresh ideas in mind for the DCU reboot, and they want fresh faces for that.
They have proven it with Superman’s release with David Corenswet in it. And now, Tom Rhys Harries Clayface casting is another proof.
Gunn and Safran’s thoughts on getting Tom Rhys Harries on board
We are also looking forward to the DCU’s adventure of a relatively newcomer to play a major, high-profile villain role. According to Variety, James Gunn took to social media to express his excitement in the selection of Tom Rhys Harries for the role.
He wrote,
“After a long and incredibly exhaustive search, we finally have our DCU Clayface in Tom Rhys Harries. Both [‘The Batman’ director] Matt Reeves and I were just blown away by this guy, and can’t wait for you to see this film.” [Source]
Written by Mike Flanagan, who is an expert in emotionally intelligent horror storytelling with The Haunting of Hill House (2018), Doctor Sleep (2019), Gerald’s Game (2017), and of course, the most recent, The Life of Chuck (2024), we are anticipating a saucy take on the DCU villain that has never been able to get the deserving spotlight in comics world.
Clayface is one of Batman’s oldest foes who was first introduced in Detective Comics #40 (1940) by Basil Karlo. Making it a mainstream villain in the DC-verse was the decision taken by Gunn and Safran after the success of HBO’s The Penguin series.
When Mike Flanagan came to Gunn with the script, he found it excellent that fit perfectly well with the Batman-verse. Gunn is of the view that the film will only be in the production phase once the script is completed, and the script written by Flanagan made immaculate sense with other future stand-alone projects.
The DC heads have decided to make three films per year, including two live-action and one animated film. Every project will be taken independently to build a larger universe.
James Watkins is Clayface’s director, best known for horror and thriller genres. His movies like Eden Lake (2008), The Woman in Black (2012), and Speak No Evil (2024) talk for themselves.
Why is Tom Rhys Harries Clayface chosen for the DC Universe?
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DC Studios co-heads, Gunn and Safran, commit to finding lesser-known stars for their new DCU franchise. Tom Rhys Harries was seen in White Lines (2020), Suspicion (2022), and Ironclad: Battle for Blood (2014).
Tom Rhys Harries beat out big names, such as Jack O’Connell (Sinners), Leo Woodall (The White Lotus), Tom Blyth (Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes), and George MacKay (1917)- showing he truly impressed the DC heads. This gives us an idea of how much potential Harries carries and what a demonic character Clayface can come out to be.
The original Batman animated series had an episode with Clayface. Batman won over him with his intelligence and planning, which also implies that Flanagan’s writing needs to be impressive and emotional enough to beat the villain in Gunn’s grand debut of DC’s prominent villain.
The special portrayal of this character in the 90s era is an exciting part of the project. With Harries playing Clayface, the casting of an unknown actor makes sense with a character-driven story.
Why? Because the baggage of known celebrity personas inevitably blends with the audience’s perception of the character’s journey, making an opaque portrayal of a strong performance.
Without any preconceived notions, even if Clayface somehow is set in the 90s era, an unfamiliar face will allow the audience to focus on his performance, giving the narrative a compelling direction.
No updates on the storyline are present yet, but from several versions of Clayface, we still need to know which one Harries is going to play.
What can we expect from Tom Rhys Harries’s Clayface?
Gunn clarified earlier that Clayface will be an “experimental” body horror film in the superhero-verse. Safran wants it to be categorized as an “indie-style chiller”.
Gunn explained that it would be a full-fledged, true psychological body horror film. No wonder it is already R-rated. With a stronger stance in the DC verse, the story’s narrative is expected to dig deeper into the Bat-verse, too.
Gunn doesn’t want to compromise on the script’s quality. Hence, when he first saw Flanagan’s script, he found it excellent and immediately gave the project a green light. The script is rewritten by Hossein Amini.
When is Clayface releasing?
For now, Clayface is expected to be released on September 11, 2026.
Can’t wait to see how this turns out! What do you think? Head to the comments section.
Passionate Entertainment Writer | Trusted Pop Culture Voice
Madiha Ali is an experienced entertainment writer with over five years of expertise in covering movies, TV shows, celebrity news, and pop culture. Her bylines appear on trusted platforms like Screen Anarchy, High on Films, Ary News, The Express Tribune, Tea and Banter, Show Snob, CelebFeedz, Snapfeedz, Daily Planet Media, The Irish Insider, and Movie Insiderz.
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