DC Studios has officially cast Welsh actor Tom Rhys Harries in the lead role of its upcoming film Clayface, marking a significant step in the studio's ambitious efforts to reshape its cinematic universe. The announcement, made by DC Studios head James Gunn on June 17, 2025, ended a lengthy and competitive search for the perfect actor to embody one of Batman’s most unique and chilling villains.
“After a long and incredibly exhaustive search, we finally have our DCU Clayface in @tomrhysharries,” Gunn shared on social media, expressing enthusiasm for the casting choice. “Both Matt Reeves and I were just blown away by this guy, and can’t wait for you to see this film, directed by James Watkins and written by Mike Flanagan.”
Tom Rhys Harries, a 35-year-old actor from Cardiff, Wales, is relatively new to American audiences but has steadily built a solid reputation through diverse roles in British and international productions. His notable credits include the Apple TV+ series Suspicion, where he starred alongside Uma Thurman, the 2023 action film Kandahar with Gerard Butler, Guy Ritchie's The Gentlemen, and the 2024 drama The Return, featuring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche. Harries also made his West End debut in 2013 in Jez Butterworth’s Mojo, sharing the stage with actors like Ben Whishaw and Rupert Grint. He is represented by UTA and the Curtis Brown Group in the UK.
The film Clayface will be directed by James Watkins, known for the 2024 remake of the Danish thriller Speak No Evil. The screenplay has seen contributions from two notable writers: horror maestro Mike Flanagan, famed for Netflix hits like The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass, penned the original draft, while the most recent script revision was handled by Hossein Amini, who is recognized for his Oscar-nominated work on Drive and The Wings of a Dove. Flanagan has since stepped away from the project, leaving Amini’s version as the latest iteration of the script.
The storyline centers on a B-movie actor who, desperate to revive his fading career, injects himself with a mysterious substance that transforms him into a living clay-like creature. This transformation grants him the ability to shape-shift, echoing the classic comic book origins of Clayface, first introduced in Detective Comics #40 back in June 1940. The character’s original incarnation, Basil Karlo, was a struggling actor who assumed the identity of a horror character he once portrayed, turning to crime after his career faltered. The film is expected to focus on the Matt Hagen version of Clayface, a detail insiders have confirmed, which may differ from previous depictions in animated series and comics.
Production is set to begin in the fall of 2025 at Warner Bros Leavesden Studios in the UK, with a budget reportedly around $40 million, suggesting a more stripped-down, character-driven approach rather than a blockbuster spectacle. The film is scheduled to hit theaters on September 11, 2026.
DC Studios is positioning Clayface as a pivotal entry in its ongoing effort to revitalize the DC Universe after a series of creative setbacks, including the underwhelming performances of films like The Flash and Black Adam. The success of Matt Reeves’ The Batman was a rare bright spot, and his involvement as a producer on Clayface, alongside Lynn Harris, James Gunn, and Peter Safran, underscores the studio’s commitment to quality storytelling and cohesive world-building.
Interestingly, the character of Clayface has already made appearances within the DC Universe in other formats. In 2024, an animated version of Clayface, voiced by Alan Tudyk, appeared in the series Creature Commandos, marking the first DCU incarnation of the character. However, given Clayface’s shapeshifting nature, the casting of Harries as the live-action lead is seen less as a recasting and more as a fresh embodiment for the cinematic universe.
James Gunn, who is also directing and writing this summer’s Superman film set to open on July 11, 2025, has been steering DC Studios towards a more interconnected and ambitious slate, which includes the upcoming release of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow in 2026. The studio is also gearing up for the second season of Gunn’s hit series Peacemaker, which is expected to make waves at the upcoming San Diego Comic-Con.
Harries’ casting as Clayface is a major breakthrough for the actor, who has steadily honed his craft in both screen and stage roles over the past two decades. His ability to carry a complex character who blurs the lines between horror and superhero genres will be put to the test in this unique body horror-infused narrative, a departure from typical comic book fare.
In the words of James Gunn, the film promises to be a fresh and exciting addition to DC’s lineup: “We can’t wait for you to see this film.” For fans of Batman’s rogues gallery and those eager to see a new take on a classic villain, Clayface offers an intriguing blend of psychological depth and supernatural transformation, set against the backdrop of a struggling actor’s desperate gamble.
As the film gears up for production later this year, anticipation is building for what could be one of the most distinctive and character-driven entries in the DC Universe to date. With a talented cast and crew behind it, Clayface is poised to reshape how comic book villains are portrayed on the big screen, blending horror elements with superhero mythos in an innovative way.
