In the last two decades, David Dastmalchian has done a wonderful job establishing himself within the ever-expanding DC multiverse. Fans will first remember seeing him playing one of The Joker’s henchmen in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, and while he has established extreme genre cred generally in in the years since then (from Dune to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to Stephen King movies), DC movies and TV have been a big part of his filmography. He was on multiple episodes of both Gotham and The Flash, voiced Calendar Man in the two-part animated feature Batman: The Long Halloween, and most recently played Polka-Dot Man in The Suicide Squad.
Unfortunately, it has not yet been announced whether or not he will end up being a part of what co-CEOS James Gunn and Peter Safran are presently building with the blossoming DC Universe… but the actor is excited regardless for what the filmmakers are planning with the future of the franchise.
David Dastmalchian’s latest movie, the wonderfully creepy Late Night With The Devil, is set to be released in theaters later this month, and when I spoke with him about the new film earlier this month, I made time at the end of the interview to ask about his status with DC. He told me that he hasn’t yet heard from James Gunn about a part in the DCU, but he is thrilled that the filmmaker is both holding the reigns of the brand and making the now-in-production Superman. Said Dastmalchian,
No conversations about it, but just like every nerd in the world, I think we're all grateful for this moment in history where James Gunn is not only getting to direct a movie about the most important comic book hero of all time, but he's getting to head the studio that is gonna shape our entertainment for years to come.
Not only does David Dastmalchian have history with James Gunn via the aforementioned The Suicide Squad, the two men also had a chance to collaborate back in the mid-2010s on the indie horror film The Belko Experiment (Gunn wrote and produced and Dastmalchian has a supporting role). The actor spoke to his personal affection for the co-CEO of DC Studios, saying,
I just feel very grateful as a comic book nerd, as a movie nerd, as a fan, not because [James Gunn is] my friend, not because I love him, not because he's like a brother to me, because literally he is the best person for the job.
Anyone who has seen James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy movies and The Suicide Squad knows that he is a brilliant filmmaker who is beyond passionate about comic books and genre storytelling. His work on Superman already has buzz thanks to the tremendous talent that has been lined up to star, and the whole slate of upcoming DC movies looks like it could be filled with treasures.
As for David Dastmalchian, there are perhaps hundreds of characters that the talented actor could do justice to (no pun intended), and given his history both in DC projects and with Gunn, his involvement with the DCU at some point feels inevitable. It could be fun to see him play an alternate version of Abner Krill a.k.a. Polka-Dot Man (the one in The Suicide Squad having been crushed and killed by Starro), but it feels too limiting to suggest a part he’s already played.
We here at CinemaBlend certainly anticipate the day that a perfect role is found for him in the DC Universe, but until that news comes, fans can simply enjoy all of his previous contributions to the franchise. As noted, audiences will also be able to see his next film very soon, as Late Night With The Devil will be arriving in theaters on March 22. Be sure to stay tuned here on the site for more from my conversation with David Dastmalchian in the coming weeks.
