David Dastmalchian was once just another aspiring actor trying to get his big break in show business when Christopher Nolan cast him in the revered superhero film The Dark Knight. Now, almost fourteen years later, Dastmalchian, following a standout performance in The Suicide Squad, is now the latest big-name addition to Nolan's Oppenheimer.
Universal's Oppenheimer is a biographical film about J. Robert Oppenheimer, best known for being the inventor of the atomic bomb. Dastmalchian joins a star-studded cast that includes Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Matt Damon, Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Rami Malek, Josh Hartnett, Dane DeHaan, Jack Quaid, and Kenneth Branagh. Adding Dastmalchian to the mix should only add to the high anticipation for this film.
While The Hollywood Reporter broke the news of his casting, details surrounding what role Dastmalchian will play remain mysterious. That's not something that's exclusive only to him. As of now, outside the film's leads - Downey Jr., Damon, Blunt, Murphy, Pugh, Harnett - nothing has been revealed regarding the other cast members' roles. Surely they will be announced in due time, but since Oppenheimer is scheduled to be released not this summer but the one after, it may be awhile until they are revealed.
Factoring both the number of big names have been signed on to be in this movie and Nolan's reputation in Hollywood, Oppenheimer is setting itself up to be one of the most hyped films since the start of the 2020s. Adding Dastmalchian to it while he's fresh off of his high-profile performance in The Suicide Squad should make him fit right in with this well-repped cast. Especially since he proved over a decade ago that not only is he a capable actor, but one that Nolan trusts.
Dastmalchian's story as to how he got this far will never not be an inspirational one. He only had a bit role as a schizophrenic mental patient in The Dark Knight. Since then, he's had bit roles in commercials, television and shows, and movies. Most of said television and movie roles he appeared in were centered around superheroes - Ant-Man and The Flash - before finally breaking through in The Suicide Squad. His upcoming role in Oppenheimer might very well demonstrate his range as an actor could go beyond being a standout in superhero media.
If that is the case, then there may not be an end to how many breakthroughs an actor like him can have. At the same time, it may not be much of a surprise if that winds up being the case. These days, the most reliable way for an actor to get their breakthrough is through superhero media. Take Sebastian Stan for example. Stan wasn't too big of a name when he was originally cast as Bucky Barnes in Captain America: The First Avenger. In the decade since, he's putting up excellent and high-publicized performances in biopics like I, Tonya and Pam and Tommy. Dastmalchian may not necessarily follow that same path, but would it surprise anyone if he took a similar one?
Oppenheimer is scheduled to be released in theaters on July 23, 2023.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter