Gunn Clarifies Clayface Movie's DCU Inclusion Over Reeves' Batman Saga

DCU co-chiefs James Gunn and Peter Safran have recently shed light on the upcoming "Clayface" movie, confirming its place within the DCU canon and its R rating. Clayface, a notorious villain from Gotham City with the ability to morph his clay-like body into any form, has been a long-standing adversary of Batman. The character was first introduced as Basil Karlo in Detective Comics #40 back in 1940.

DC Studios announced last month that "Clayface" is slated for release on September 11, 2026. The decision to focus on Clayface was influenced by the success of HBO's "The Penguin" series. The film will be penned by horror maestro Mike Flanagan, with Lynn Harris and "The Batman" director Matt Reeves set to produce.

Confirmed DCU Projects

11 Images

During a DC Studios presentation attended by IGN, Gunn and Safran clarified why Clayface is being integrated into the DCU rather than Matt Reeves' "The Batman Epic Crime Saga."

"Clayface is totally DCU," Gunn affirmed. "The only elements within Matt's world, his Crime Saga, are the Batman Trilogy and the Penguin series. These are under DC Studios and our purview. We have a fantastic relationship with Matt, but those are the only projects in that lane," Safran elaborated.

"It was crucial for Clayface to be part of the DCU. We're excited to explore the origin story of this iconic Batman villain within our universe," Gunn added.

Gunn further explained that Clayface wouldn't have fit well in the more grounded "The Batman Epic Crime Saga." "It was very outside of the grounded non-super metahuman characters in Matt's world," he stated.

Safran revealed that DC Studios is currently negotiating with James Watkins, director of "Speak No Evil," to helm "Clayface," with filming expected to begin this summer.

"This summer, we'll start rolling cameras on 'Clayface,' a film that promises to be an incredible body horror experience, delving into the compelling origin of this classic Batman villain. The strength of Mike Flanagan's screenplay convinced us to add this to our slate," Safran noted.

"We're finalizing negotiations with James Watkins to direct, and we'll begin casting once the director deal is secured. We aim to shoot this summer for a fall 2026 release. While Clayface may not be as well-known as The Penguin or The Joker, we believe his story is equally compelling and, in many ways, more terrifying," he continued.

Throughout the DC Studios presentation, Safran described "Clayface" as "experimental," deviating from the traditional superhero blockbuster format, labeling it an "indie style chiller." Gunn characterized the film as "pure f\*\*\*ing horror," emphasizing its psychological and body horror elements, calling it "totally real."

Gunn confirmed that "Clayface" is rated R, stating, "Peter and I, when we first read the script, thought that if we were producing movies five years ago during the time of 'The Belko Experiment,' and someone brought us this horror script called 'Clayface,' we would have been eager to produce it. It's an excellent body horror script, and its inclusion in the DCU is just an added bonus."