It's official: one of DC Studios' most unlikely films has found its lead actor, as Tom Rhys Harries has been cast as Clayface based on an audition that DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn says left him and The Batman director Matt Reeves "blown away."
"After a long and incredibly exhaustive search, we finally have our DCU Clayface in Tom Rhys Harries," Gunn says on social media. "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."
Clayface initially joined the DC Universe slate thanks to the strength of Flanagan's script, which fast-tracked the film into development. A version of Clayface appeared in the Creature Commandos animated show, where he was voiced in grunts and roars by Alan Tudyk, though it's actually unclear whether the version of Clayface in the live-action film will be the same character in the show.
As it happens, there are actually numerous versions of Clayface in comics. The most famous is Matt Hagen, the second Clayface and the first to possess shapeshifting clay powers, thanks to his involvement in Batman: The Animated Series. The other most famous is Basil Karlo, the original Clayface, who started out as an actor driven to commit murder while in disguise before gaining clay powers of his own.
It's been rumored that a version of the Basil Karlo Clayface will be the villain of the long (long, long) awaited The Batman 2, with the Penguin streaming series introducing characters with connections to Karlo.
That said, none of that will have much bearing on how the DCU Clayface goes down, as it will take place in the core DC Universe movie continuity, while The Batman exists separately in its own world.
Clayface is set to be released on September 11, 2026, as part of DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters. For more, see our guide on how to watch DC movies in order, or keep up with upcoming DC movies and shows.
