The star of Late Night With The Devil initially built a career out of playing multi-dimensional, offbeat characters in Marvel and DC productions.

Apart from the muscled and costumed faces of Marvel and DC Universe movies, both cinematic comic book franchises have also yielded some impressive character actors. One such performer with a chameleon-like versatility has now finally stepped out of the shadow of his genre outings. David Dastmalchian is the star of a riveting 70s-era found footage horror that’s gaining all the raves in critics’ circles. Currently scoring a Rotten Tomatoes “Certified Fresh” rating of 100%, Late Night with the Devil satirizes late-night talk shows of the era with David Dastmalchian’s charismatic TV host character overseeing spine-chilling exorcisms broadcast on live television.

After decades of playing supporting characters, Dastmalchian gets the spotlight as he takes charge in a top-billed role. The Prisoners and Dune star endures as one of those actors who have appeared in both Marvel and DC movies. Considering his diverse track record in multiple projects across the MCU timeline and the DCEU movies, Dastmalchian’s filmography is one of its kind. Before his increased acclaim following Late Night With The Devil, Dastmalchian was fondly remembered for his many superhero genre pursuits, having proven his eccentric charm and dramatic prowess in roles like a polka dot-obsessed supervillain and Ant-Man’s heist partner.

David Dastmalchian And His Many Faces In Marvel/DC Universe

The Late Night With The Devil Star Made A Career Out Of Offbeat Character Roles

David Dastmalchian’s regular flirtations with comic book movies can be traced back to his movie debut in The Dark Knight. His was a brief role as Thomas Schiff, serving as one of the Joker’s henchmen. Dastmalchian’s brief but harrowing role as an everyday man serving Heath Ledger’s villain darkly foreshadowed how an anarchist like the Joker could appease people from all walks of life, contributing to a Dark Knight storyline ahead of its times. Dastmalchian’s first MCU role was Kurt in Ant-Man, a friend of the titular hero who acts as the tech expert in their heists.

The actor reprised his role in the sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp but voiced a new character in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania – Veb, the amiable slime-like entity in the Quantum Realm. In the meantime, Dastmalchian also ventured into DC TV projects, changing faces with all sorts of niche roles like the wizard (later revealed to be a cyborg) Abra Kadabra in The Flash, and Dwight Pollard in Gotham. The latter found him revisiting his Dark Knight roots as his Gotham character was a sociopathic morgue worker worshiping Jerome Valeska, the show’s iteration of the Joker.

Dastmalchian’s ability to take on menacing but morally ambiguous antagonists is also reflected in animation, with the actor voicing cult-favorite Batman comic book villains Calendar Man and Penguin in the two-part animated movie Batman: The Long Halloween. Dastmalchian broke typecast by voicing The Flash in the anime-inspired Justice League × RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen. A meatier comic book role that allowed him to display his emotional range was Polka-Dot Man in The Suicide Squad.

What’s Next For David Dastmalchian?

The Actor/Comic Book Writer Has Potential For More Superhero Ventures

David Dastmalchian’s dynamic lead performance in Late Night With The Devil can hopefully pave the way for bigger avenues in Marvel and DC. As Dastmalchian also occasionally pens graphic novels (Count Crowley) and screenplays (Animals), he’s a comic book-loving multi-hyphenate. He can even ignore dark, troubled villains for a change and take on niche, emotionally resonant superheroes as well, as is evident from his conversation with Screen Rant when he expressed interest in writing new takes on “more obscure heroes that are kicking it around in the shadows” like the West Coast Avengers, Moon Knight, Werewolf By Night among others.