DC’s Clayface is officially looking to cast Max Minghella in the new movie

DC's Clayface has received another exciting casting update, with things moving quickly for the upcoming film. Max Minghella, best known for his Emmy-nominated role as Nick Blaine in The Handmaid’s Tale, is in final negotiations to join DC Studios’ upcoming Clayface. Directed by Speak No Evil filmmaker James Watkins, the horror-infused project will star Tom Rhys Harries in the title role alongside Naomi Ackie.

Written by Mike Flanagan, with additional drafts by Oscar nominee Hossein Amini, Clayface is described as a body-horror thriller, echoing David Cronenberg’s The Fly. The $40 million production follows an ambitious actor whose face is disfigured by a gangster, leading him to seek help from a fringe scientist with a controversial reputation. Minghella will portray a Gotham City detective romantically involved with the scientist.

The film, shooting this fall at Warner Bros. Leavesden Studios in the UK, is produced by DC chiefs James Gunn and Peter Safran, alongside The Batman’s Matt Reeves and Lynn Harris, with Chantal Nong executive producing.

Minghella recently wrapped season four of HBO’s Industry and premiered his psychological thriller Shell, starring Elisabeth Moss, Kate Hudson, and Kaia Gerber, at Toronto International Film Festival. His previous credits include The Social Network, Babylon, The Ides of March, and his directorial debut Teen Spirit.

More details about Clayface

One might remember Clayface as one of Batman's main adversaries, and it's certainly exciting to see what twist James Gunn's DC brings for the criminal's live action debut. Previously in an interview with IGN, the director talked about how he has different visions for all his films, as he called Clayface an R rated body horror film and very different from Superman, as he stated,

“It’s really important to me that every project has its own stamp on it. This movie is very different from the R rated movie we're making, a body horror movie with Clayface."

In another part of the interview, Gunn gave a few more details about the film as he called it a “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.”

In another interview with IGN, Gunn emphasized on the film's importance within the DC universe as he addressed why the character never made it to any Batman film and said,

“Clayface is totally DCU. It was important that Clayface be part of the DCU. It's an origin story for a classic Batman villain that we want to have in our world.”

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Since Clayface has never had a live-action debut and remains one of DC’s most significant Batman villains, the film is generating considerable anticipation as fans eagerly await to see how the directors will portray the character.

Clayface will be in theaters on September 11, 2026.

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