Dan Stevens Reveals His ‘Onslaught’ Villain Is Inspired by Operation Paperclip

Adam Wingard has established a unique reputation in genre filmmaking by grounding his most outrageous concepts in elements of real history, utilizing conspiracy theories and declassified programs as foundations for his pulpy, blood-soaked narratives. His latest collaboration with longtime creative partner Dan Stevens continues this trend, intricately weaving a decades-old government secret into the essence of its main antagonist.

This villain represents a notable shift from the role that first made Stevens and Wingard’s collaboration memorable. In 2014, Stevens portrayed David Collins, an unstable government-engineered super soldier, in Wingard’s cult classic ‘The Guest.’ Instead of revisiting that character for a direct sequel, Stevens now embodies the scientist tasked with creating a new generation of genetically engineered killers.

This character is Dr. Hans Kammler, and Stevens has confirmed that his backstory is directly influenced by Operation Paperclip, the real-life covert intelligence program that brought Nazi scientists to the United States after World War II. Stevens described Kammler as a product of that legacy, referring to him as “a deranged Nazi scientist” whose role in the film’s shadowy defense contractor narrative connects to the broader conspiracy-laden mythology Wingard has developed in his recent works.

Discussing how deeply this history shapes the character, Stevens explained that Kammler is a crucial element of the fictional universe Wingard aimed to create. This universe spans three films, starting with 2011’s ‘You’re Next,’ continuing through ‘The Guest,’ and culminating in ‘Onslaught,’ which Wingard has described as completing a loose spiritual trilogy linked by recurring themes of secretive government experimentation.

The name Hans Kammler is not a fictional creation. Wingard has clarified that the character is named after a real SS general who supervised construction at Auschwitz and managed the brutal V-2 rocket slave labor program at Mittelbau-Dora, where approximately 10,000 individuals perished during the war. This grim historical context provides the film’s over-the-top genre thrills with an unusually dark real-world foundation.

Wingard has expressed that his fascination with the post-World War II period, particularly Operation Paperclip, influenced much of the film’s underlying conspiracy, framing it around a provocative question: if the United States was willing to recruit and subsequently suppress the record of someone like rocket scientist Wernher von Braun in exchange for his technical expertise, what similar programs might the government have operated entirely in secrecy? This thematic thread adds a layer of historical discomfort beneath the film’s flashy genre violence.

Stevens has mentioned that the character was crafted specifically with him in mind, given his fluency in German from previous roles. Wingard has confirmed this, stating that the team sought an “evil third-generation Paperclip Nazi character” and tailored the role knowing Stevens could authentically deliver both the accent and the theatrical menace required.

Stevens’ casting also continues his ongoing creative partnership with Wingard, having previously collaborated on ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ in addition to ‘The Guest.’ This history instilled confidence in Stevens to join ‘Onslaught’ even before fully grasping the project’s direction, expressing his excitement simply at the prospect of working with Wingard and writer Simon Barrett again.

The film also features Adria Arjona as a former Army sniper protecting her daughter from the genetically engineered soldiers Kammler helped create, alongside Rebecca Hall as Kammler’s controlling wife and handler. Michael Biehn, Drew Starkey, Reginald VelJohnson, and UFC champion Alex Pereira complete the supporting cast.

‘Onslaught’ premiered in theaters on September 4 through A24, providing audiences with an opportunity to witness how intricately Wingard and Stevens have integrated real historical conspiracies into their latest slice of genre chaos. Considering the extensive research and thematic intent behind Kammler’s backstory, the character is set to become one of the more unforgettable villains in Wingard’s expanding body of work.

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