The Office star Rainn Wilson weighs in on a possible role in the DCU at the 2025 FAN EXPO Chicago. James Gunn, co-head of DC Studios, is firing on all cylinders in his revival of the DCU. And with multiple projects slated for release, he might have a role for an old collaborator. Wilson expressed interest in wanting to play the role of Plastic Man while addressing the crowd (via Entertainment Weekly):
I’ve hinted to James several times, like, ‘Hey man, you’ve got to do something with Plastic Man. He’s one of my favorite DC characters, and I loved him growing up. He had a wicked sense of humor. The Plastic Man comics were very, very funny. That would be a fun one to unearth. I would be a fan even if I wasn’t in it. I would love to watch that… And play him.
James Gunn and Rainn Wilson’s close friendship goes way back, with their first collaboration being 2010’s dark comedy superhero film Super. The film stars Rainn Wilson as a regular person who transforms into a vigilante called Crimson Bolt.
Despite mixed reviews from audiences and critics, both Rainn Wilson and James Gunn have come a long way as creators and actors. Their maturity in their craft has grown over the years, and we have also seen the two collaborating on a few more projects, like an uncredited cameo in James Gunn’s Brightburn and, more recently, a sit-down for Interview Magazine to discuss Gunn’s role as co-head of DC Studios (via ComicBook.com).
A Plastic Man adaptation from the comics will be super fun, considering the humorous chemistry Gunn and Wilson share.
Who Is DC’s Plastic Man?
Plastic Man (Patrick “Eel” O’Brian) is a superhero featured in American comic books, first appearing in Police Comics #1, originally published by Quality Comics and later acquired by DC Comics. Created by cartoonist Jack Cole in 1941, Plastic Man was one of the first superheroes to incorporate humor into mainstream action storytelling.
As a low-level criminal from the streets, Eel was orphaned at the young age of 10 and became part of a burglary ring. After a heist gone wrong, Eel was shot and doused with unknown chemicals. As standard comic storylines go, this did not kill him but instead granted him superhero powers.
Eel’s body had all the properties of rubber, and he could now stretch, contort, and transform his body into virtually any shape. He exists in a fluid state and has complete control over his entire molecular structure. There is no known limit to how far Plastic Man can stretch his body, making him an extremely powerful adversary to villains. His powers give him the powers of a shapeshifter-type hero, with the ability to turn into other people or objects like vehicles.
Seeing this as a sign to start over, he abandoned his criminal activities and reinvented himself as Plastic Man, donning a red and yellow rubber costume.
Interestingly enough, this is not the first time a Plastic Man movie has been spoken about.
Matt and I sat in a trailer with the head of Warner Bros, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, on the set of Scooby-Doo in 2000 (!!!) and told him we wanted do Plastic Man.— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) March 5, 2023
Now that Wilson has explicitly stated he wants to play the role of Eel, will Gunn add this adaptation to his huge roster of DCU projects? Rainn Wilson continues to be an active member of the film and TV industry.
What Is The Office Star Rainn Wilson up to Now?
Still from The Office | Credit: NBC
Rainn Wilson has starred in multiple projects since The Office ended. Most notably, he voiced Lex Luthor in various DC animated films, including The Death of Superman, Reign of the Supermen, Batman: Hush, and Justice League Dark: Apokolips War.
More recently, Wilson starred in the 2024 action-comedy film Code 3 that is slated for release in the U.S. on September 12, 2025. He also appeared in three episodes of the critically acclaimed Apple TV+ series, Lessons in Chemistry, starring Brie Larson.
Super (2010)Key DetailsWritten byJames GunnDirected byJames GunnStarringRainn WilsonElliot PageLiv TylerKevin BaconNathan FillionBudget$2.5 millionBox Office$593,933IMDb Rating6.7/10Rotten Tomatoes Score49%
Rainn Wilson’s most active work is on his personal podcast Soul Boom w/ Rainn Wilson, which launched in 2024 on YouTube. He dives into matters like spirituality and growth in the podcast series. As a sort of addendum to the podcast, he also published a book titled Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution.
Wilson also joked about making an appearance in The Office sequel The Paper, with Oscar Martinez set to return as a series regular.
With Wilson’s huge repertoire as a voice actor in DC projects, his superhero collaboration with James Gunn, and his strong interest in playing Plastic Man, it is quite probable that Gunn might include him in the DCU.
Would you want to see Rainn Wilson collaborate with James Gunn again? Let us know in the comments.
Super is available to rent on Prime Video and Apple TV+ in the U.S.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
