After Rumors Daniel Radcliffe Is Playing Clayface, James Gunn Offers Update About The DC Flick

The superhero genre continues to be wildly popular, with various cinematic universes currently at play. While the DCEU (which is streaming with a Max subscription) ended with Aquaman 2, co-CEO James Gunn is forming a brand new DC Universe. One of the many upcoming DC movies is the Clayface flick, which James Watkins is expected to direct. And after rumors swirled that Daniel Radcliffe would be playing the title role, Gunn weighed in.

Clayface is expected to be "full horror" flick, offering something unique for the first slate of DCU projects titled Gods and Monsters. Anticipation for the project is building, even more so when chatter online claimed that Harry Potter alum Daniel Radcliffe might be playing the iconic villain. The discourse got loud enough that Gunn posted on Threads, offering:

There you have it. It sounds like casting has not begun for Clayface, although the filmmaker does seem to think that Radcliffe is talented actor. Alas, the focus is instead on nailing down a director, and getting James Watkins to sign on the dotted line. After that, finding the right actors for the project can begin.

Since his tenure playing Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe hasn't really signed on for any major franchise work. Instead, he'd done a variety of unique and challenging projects on TV, film, and the stage. As such, seeing him join the DCU as a major character would likely turn heads and get butts in seats. We'll just have to see if this rumor ever actually comes to fruition.

Now might be the perfect time for a body-horror inspired DC movie to come to theaters in the form of Clayface. The wild success of Coralie Fargeat's The Substance (including its 2025 Oscar nominations) proved that audiences are able to handle that specific type of project. Add in a comic book twist and an actor like Daniel Radcliffe at the top of the call sheet, and the DC movie has the potential to offer something truly thrilling to moviegoers.

Of course, there's no guarantee that Radcliffe will even really be in the running to play Clayface in the DCU. Fans of the Wizarding World probably shouldn't hold their breath, especially after Gunn's response on Threads. Still, it's hard to deny he'd be great in the role, especially if the movie ends up following Basil Karlo.

There have been many versions of Clayface in the comics over the years, but the original was Karlo. Typically this character is a washed up actor who ends up becoming a murderous supervillain once his role is taken away. It's unclear what version of the character Mike Flanagan's Clayface script focuses on, but horror fans like myself are thrilled that he'll have an influence on the forthcoming blockbuster. Hopefully we get some much-needed information sooner rather than later... even if the project isn't on the 2025 movie release list.