DCU co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran have confirmed the upcoming Clayface film, emphasizing its R-rating and place within the DCU canon. This distinguishes it from Matt Reeves' more grounded Batman universe.
Clayface, a shapeshifting Gotham criminal and long-time Batman adversary, first appeared in Detective Comics #40 (1940) as Basil Karlo. The film, slated for a September 11, 2026 release, follows the success of HBO's The Penguin series. Horror maestro Mike Flanagan penned the screenplay, with Lynn Harris producing alongside Matt Reeves.
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Gunn and Safran clarified Clayface's distinct position within the DCU, separate from Reeves' Batman saga. "Clayface is totally DCU," Gunn stated. Safran added, "Matt's world, his Crime Saga, includes only the Batman trilogy and The Penguin series. We have a great relationship with Matt, but that's it." They emphasized the importance of Clayface's origin story within their broader DCU vision, deeming it unsuitable for the more grounded tone of Reeves' films. Gunn described it as "very outside of the grounded non-super metahuman characters in Matt's world."
James Watkins, director of Speak No Evil, is in final negotiations to helm the project, with filming commencing this summer. Safran described Clayface as an "experimental," "indie-style chiller," a "compelling origin story" of a classic villain, potentially even more terrifying than established characters like The Penguin or The Joker. Gunn described it as "pure f***ing horror," emphasizing its realistic, psychological, and body horror elements. The R-rating was confirmed, aligning with the film's intended intensity. Gunn further noted that if presented with this script years ago, they would have eagerly produced it, regardless of its DCU context.
