From The Dark Knight to The Suicide Squad: The superhero specialist, David Dastmalchian!

David Dastmalchian, character actor extraordinaire, has appeared in several critically-acclaimed Denis Villeneuve movies, such as Blade Runner 2049, Prisoners, and in the upcoming, highly anticipated Dune. However, his appearances in comic book films and television shows across DC and Marvel is what has earned him a cult status among the vocal fans of the comic book world. The following is a list of films and TV shows that he has either appeared in or is set to appear in the future.

Abner Krill/Polka-Dot Man - The Suicide Squad

James Gunn’s R-rated potential smash hit of the summer currently sits at 92% critics approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film is a soft reboot of the 2016 version and will feature the infamous Task Force X also known as the Suicide Squad. Margot Robbie (Harley Quinn), Joel Kinnaman (Col. Rick Flag), Jai Courtney (Captain Boomerang), and Viola Davis (Amanda Waller) reprise their roles from the previous film. David Dastmalchian (Polka-Dot Man) joins Idris Elba (Bloodsport), John Cena (Peacemaker), Sylvester Stallone (King Shark), Peter Capaldi (The Thinker), Daniela Melchior (Ratcatcher 2), and Sean Gunn (Calendar Man and Weasel), and Nathan Fillion (T.D.K) as new members of the cast in an exciting ensemble of talent.

Thomas Schiff - The Dark Knight

His very first film credit was for Christopher Nolan’s magnum opus, The Dark Knight. His appearance was brief, but certainly, one that caught the eye. He appeared as one of Joker’s henchmen involved in the attempted assassination of Mayor Garcia and is later abducted by Harvey Dent. His interaction with Dent gives a glimpse into Harvey’s dark side before becoming Harvey’s “Two-Face’ Dent.

Kurt - Ant-man

This is the only film on this list in which Dastmalchian doesn’t play a deranged villain. While he still plays the role of a criminal, he essentially is one of the good guys assisting Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd). Dastmalchian plays a Russian tech wizard/hacker named Kurt who has modeled his looks after Elvis Presley. The film directed by Edgar Wright has taken liberties by moving away from the usual template of Marvel Cinematic Universe films with its brand of unique storytelling devices.

Abra Kadabra - The Flash

Following the success of Arrow on the CW, The Flash, based on the famous DC Comics character of the same name, began its run with two well-executed seasons. However, just like most CW shows, the quality dipped drastically. By the time David Dastmalchian’s Abra Kadabra made his debut on the show, it was a shadow of its glory days plagued by poorly written storylines and screenplay. However, Dastmalchian perfectly adapted a sympathetic villain from the future, called Abra Kadabra, with a unique set of powers and abilities to rival the ‘Scarlet Speedster.

Dwight Pollard - Gotham

Dastmalchian returns to the city of Gotham in the television adaptation of the city before Bruce Wayne dons the cape and cowl as Batman. Just like in his previous iteration, Dastmalchian plays yet another Joker devotee. However, his character is far more integral to the storyline than in The Dark Knight. Gotham’s over-the-top themes and visuals was the perfect platform for him to flesh out this psychotic character, one which he accomplished with great success.

Julian Day/Calendar Man - Batman: The Long Halloween Part 1 & Part 2

The Long Halloween written by Jeph Loeb is often regarded as one of the greatest comic stories, featuring the Dark Knight of Gotham. The new animated movie adaptation split into parts has received critical acclaim. Dastmalchian voices the dangerous Calendar Man in both films, as a deeply disturbed and psychotic serial killer. In both films, Batman (voiced by Jensen Ackles) is forced to seek counsel from Julian Day, who is locked up in Arkham Asylum, in the hope of apprehending another serial killer called ‘The Holiday Killer’. The film also features Catwoman (the late Naya Rivera) and several members of Batman’s infamous ‘rogues gallery’ such as Joker (Troy Baker), Two-Face (Josh Duhamel), and Carmine Falcone (Titus Welliver).

Kurt - What if…?

Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has promised fans that it would break away from the usual mould of their cinematic and storytelling styles. The new What if…?, the animated series is an anthology that delves deep into various points in the timeline of the MCU and presents alternative stories of what could happen in parallel universes if these events were alerted. Not much has been revealed as to how Dastmalchia’s Kurt from Ant-Man would feature in the series or about his arc in the series.