It looks like Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe might be stepping into the DC Universe in a big, grotesque way. The actor is reportedly being considered for the role of Basil Karlo, a.k.a. Clayface, in DC Studios’ upcoming Clayface horror-driven adaptation.
James Gunn has also confirmed the film will be R-rated, leaning into full-blown body horror territory.
DC Studios recently hired Speak No Evil director James Watkins to helm Clayface, and if done right, it could be a wild and disturbing comic book adaptation.
Filming is slated to begin later this year, and according to The InSneider, Radcliffe is one of two actors currently being considered for the lead role.
Radcliffe previously worked with Watkins on The Woman in Black, and over the years, he’s made a point of taking on unconventional roles (Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, Swiss Army Man, Guns Akimbo), making him an interesting and great choice for the shape-shifting DC villain.
Gunn recently spoke to Cinema Blend about Clayface, and he didn’t hold back when describing just how intense this movie is going to be:
“One of the things Peter and I talked about when we first got the script is if we were producing movies five years ago, like when we were doing Belko Experiment and all of that stuff, and somebody had brought us this horror script called Clayface about this guy, we would have died to have produced this movie.”
He continued, “Because it was just a really excellent body horror script. And the fact that it’s in the DCU is just a plus. Then we have Clayface: pure F –ing horror. Like totally real. Their version of that movie, it is so real and true and psychological and body horror and gross. It’s definitely R-rated.”
An R-rated take on Clayface opens up awesome possibilities, especially if it leans into the grotesque transformations and psychological horror elements of the character.
The rating also confirms that DC Studios isn’t shying away from darker, more mature storytelling in its new cinematic universe.
Clayface first appeared in the 1940s, introduced as Basil Karlo, a washed-up B-list actor who snapped when he was recast in a role he originally made famous. Taking on the persona of “Clayface”, a character from one of his past films—Karlo embarked on a vengeful killing spree, targeting the cast of the remake.
Eventually, the character evolved into something far more monstrous. One of the most recognizable versions is Matt Hagen, introduced in the Silver Age as an adventurer who transformed into a shape-shifting clay monster after encountering a pool of radioactive protoplasm.
For a lot of fans, Batman: The Animated Series solidified Hagen as the definitive Clayface, reimagining him as a tragic actor desperate to retain his youth, only to be permanently disfigured.
Clayface is set to hit theaters on September 11, 2026.
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