James Gunn’s DC Universe is about to get seriously strange. The studio is cooking up Clayface — a villain-led thriller that will land as the third chapter in Gunn’s rebooted DCU — and the casting cauldron is bubbling with four breakout names. But not for long.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jack O'Connell (SAS: Rogue Heroes), Tom Blyth (The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes), George MacKay (1917), and Leo Woodall (The White Lotus) are all contenders to take on the tragic, terrifying role of one of Batman’s most underrated foes. The twist? One of them is already out of the race — but no one’s saying who.
The film will explore the tortured origins of Clayface — once a Hollywood actor who, after a disfiguring accident and experimental treatment, turns into a shape-shifting monster consumed by rage and loneliness. In the comics, several versions of Clayface exist, but the film is expected to focus on the classic Basil Karlo iteration, known for his dramatic flair and grotesque transformations.
Directed by Speak No Evil’s James Watkins, with a story penned by Doctor Sleep’s Mike Flanagan, Clayface promises to bring a gothic horror edge to the DCU — and Gunn’s decision to go villain-first before unleashing more capes is already setting his vision apart from Marvel’s machine and the Snyderverse shadows. The film is slated for a September 2026 release, and if the creative team sticks the landing, Clayface could be DC’s boldest — and weirdest — chapter yet.
