‘Clayface’ Has Cast Tom Rhys Harries as the Classic DC Villain

One project that has begun to move unexpectedly fast in development at DC Studios is Clayface. The film wasn’t originally part of Co-Chairmen James Gunn and Peter Safran’s list of projects that comprise the first saga, titled Gods and Monsters. However, a Clayface script written by Life of Chuck director Mike Flanagan was quickly approved by the duo at the head of DC Studios. From there, the project took off, with Speak No Evil director James Watkins being announced to helm the film shortly afterward. All that remained was to see who would end up playing the titular villain. Now, a new report from Deadline has revealed that an up-and-coming actor has landed the coveted role of the DC villain.

Welsh actor Tom Rhys Harries has officially signed on to play Clayface and will be an exciting new addition to the DC Universe. The actor was most recently featured in the Uma Thurman Apple TV+ series Suspicion and also played supporting roles in films such as Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen and the Gerard Butler action film Kandahar. According to Deadline, the actor beat out a shortlist that included Jack O’Connell (28 Years Later), Tom Blyth (Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes), and George MacKay (1917).

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James Gunn shared the news on his various social media pages, expressing excitement about the upcoming Clayface movie by saying: “After a long and incredibly exhaustive search, we finally have our DCU Clayface in Tom Rhys Harries. 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 Is the Clayface of the DCU

Clayface in Creature Commandos — HBO Max

While DC Studios may have just recently had to kill a previously announced project, the studio and its creatives have managed to find a new and exciting one to take its place. Deadline touts Clayface as the next big theatrical project that James Gunn and Peter Safran will focus on after the newly titled Supergirl film, which is scheduled for release in June of next year. While there is no set production start date, the outlet also confirmed that Clayface will be shooting at Warner Bros’ Leavesden studio in the U.K, with the film set for release in September 2026.

Interestingly, although Matt Reeves has been heavily involved in his role as a producer, along with Gunn and Safran, on the project, Clayface doesn’t seem to be connected to his Batman Epic Crime Saga. Instead, as Gunn put it in his social media post, this is the Clayface that will be present in future DCU projects. The character had previously appeared in Creature Commandos Season 1, in which he was portrayed as a grumbling creature voiced by Alan Tudyk (who also voices Clayface in the Harley Quinn series).

Overall, given the creative team assembled for the project, Clayface is shaping up to be something akin to a horror film in the new DCU. Casting a lesser-known actor like Tom Rhys Harries in the role of the villain only makes the production more exciting, as the whole purpose of the Batman villain is his ability to look like anyone, making any big-name actor portraying the character feel almost like a distraction from the tragic character at the heart of the story. Harries has the opportunity to disappear into the role and help bring the villain to life in a new and terrifying way.

Source: Deadline, X