Clayface DCU Movie Rumored to Eye Harry Potter Actor Daniel Radcliffe

The Clayface DCU movie is moving forward quickly, with a director James Watkins tapped to helm the film from a script by Mike Flanagan. Now, a new Clayface casting rumor claims a former Harry Potter cast member is being eyed for the titular Batman villain.

A Clayface movie was pitched by Flanagan to DC Studios bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran in 2023. However, it wasn’t until December 2024 that Gunn announced DC Studios had greenlit Flanagan’s Clayface DCU movie for a Fall 2026 theatrical release. While Flanagan’s acclaimed work on horror projects such as The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass made him the ideal candidate to direct the Clayface movie, a project he had expressed interest in doing years before his 2023 meeting at DC Studios, the director’s commitments to the new Exorcist movie for Universal meant the film needed to find another filmmaker to helm his script. After months of searching, DC Studios chose horror filmmaker Watkins to direct Clayface, and new rumor claims the film could reunite him with a former Harry Potter star.

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On The InSneider, Jeff Sneider reports that Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe is one of two actors currently being eyed to play Basil Karlo/Clayface. Radcliffe and Watkins previously worked together on The Woman in Black, a gothic supernatural horror film adaptation of author Susan Hill’s novel of the same name. The second of the two actors reportedly being considered does not appear to have been named by Sneider.

Responses to the Clayface casting rumor have been generally positive. Still, some fans are skeptical because the Clayface movie has been described as a horror tragedy about a B-list actor who injects himself with a substance to keep himself relevant, which to some implies that the Basil Karlo character is meant to be an older person. While Radcliffe may not be the child he was during his Harry Potter years, few would characterize him as “old.” However, Reddit users farben_blas and BROnik99 argued that Radcliffe may be ideal casting if Clayface tells the story of an actor who was best known for one famous role yet struggled to escape that character’s shadow, as the former Harry Potter actor has seemingly made a conscious effort to take on roles that are nothing like the Boy Wizard since he finished playing the role.

The DCU movie may also benefit from Radcliffe’s association with the Harry Potter franchise. While comic book fans are interested in seeing Clayface get the treatment he deserves, some argue the project is a questionable choice for one of the DCU’s first feature films, as the character may not be well-known enough to general audiences. Casting Radcliffe could mean Harry Potter fans will be inclined to see the film if the former Boy Wizard plays the eponymous Batman villain. Furthermore, Radcliffe has earned acclaim for roles such as Al Yankovic in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, so he undoubtedly has the acting talent to make Clayface a tragic figure.

Clayface is scheduled to be released in theaters on September 11, 2026.

Clayface

Release Date

September 11, 2026

Director

Mike Flanagan

Writers

Mike Flanagan

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Source: The InSneider