James Gunn recently took to Threads to shut down social media rumors claiming Daniel Radcliffe is joining the new DC Universe as the star of “Clayface,” which is now in development. “Doctor Sleep” filmmaker Mike Flanagan is penning the script for the movie, which is being billed as a horror spin on the comic book tentpole. Gunn’s DC Studios co-chief Peter Safran confirmed earlier this month that “Speak No Evil” director James Watkins is in talks to direct the movie.
“As we confirmed the other day, we’re closing a deal with James to direct,” Gunn wrote amid rumors of the “Harry Potter” star being cast in the title role. “Because we don’t have a director yet, we haven’t even started the casting process. Daniel is great but we certainly haven’t talked to or considered him. So this one is 100% false.
Safran has characterized the “Clayface” movie as a “body horror film.” Gunn previously said DC Studios hopes the movie “works as a pure horror movie for somebody who doesn’t care at all about DC.” Warner Bros. has dated “Clayface” for release on Sept. 11, 2026.
Radcliffe often finds himself at the center of comic book movie casting rumors, most notably that he’s going to play Wolverine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He told fans in 2022 that he had no interest in playing the X-Men superhero, but that didn’t stop his muscular physique from reigniting rumors in 2023 that he’s circling a Wolverine role. The rumors weren’t true.
The “Harry Potter” star previously told Entertainment Weekly that the Wolverine rumors always surge because “Wolverine is short, so every so often they’re like, ‘Who’s a short actor?’ There’s never been any actual truth to it.”
“I just don’t ever want to get locked into something that I am not sure I will be able to love the same amount the whole time,” he also told GQ magazine about his resistance to signing up for another mega-franchise.
