James Gunn on Why Clayface Movie Fits DCU, Not Reeves' Batman Saga

DCU co-chiefs James Gunn and Peter Safran have confirmed the inclusion of the upcoming movie Clayface within the DCU canon, and it's set to be rated R.

Clayface, featuring the character known for his shape-shifting abilities and criminal past in Gotham City, is one of Batman's most enduring adversaries. The original version of the character, Basil Karlo, made his debut 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 develop this movie was influenced by the success of HBO's The Penguin series. Horror maestro Mike Flanagan is penning the screenplay, while Lynn Harris and The Batman director Matt Reeves are set to produce.

Confirmed DCU Projects

11 ImagesDuring a DC Studios presentation attended by IGN, Gunn and Safran elucidated why Clayface fits into the DCU rather than Matt Reeves' The Batman Epic Crime Saga.

“Clayface is totally DCU,” Gunn affirmed. “The only elements in Matt's world, his Crime Saga, are the Batman Trilogy and the Penguin series. These fall under that category," Safran clarified. "They're still under DC Studios and under our supervision. We have a fantastic relationship with Matt, but those are the only projects in his lane.

“It was crucial for Clayface to be part of the DCU. It's an origin story for a classic Batman villain we want in our universe.”

Gunn noted that Clayface wouldn't mesh well with the more grounded approach of The Batman Epic Crime Saga.

“It was very outside of the grounded non-super metahuman characters in Matt's world,” Gunn stated.

Safran confirmed that DC Studios is currently negotiating with Speak No Evil director James Watkins to helm Clayface, indicating that a deal is likely imminent. Filming is scheduled to commence this summer.

“This summer, we'll start rolling cameras on Clayface, an incredible body horror film that delves into a compelling origin story of a classic Batman villain. This addition to our slate was propelled by an exceptional screenplay by Mike Flanagan,” Safran shared.

“I think some of you might be aware that we're negotiating with James Watkins now to direct. Once the director deal is finalized, we'll start casting and shoot this summer. It's slated for a fall 2026 release. Clayface may not be as well-known as The Penguin or The Joker, but we believe his story is equally resonant, compelling, and, in many ways, more terrifying than those.”

Throughout the DC Studios presentation, Safran described Clayface as “experimental” and not a “traditional superhero tentpole movie,” but rather an “indie style chiller.” Gunn labeled it “pure f***ing horror, like, totally real. Their version of that movie is so real, true, psychological, and steeped in body horror and grossness.”

Gunn confirmed that Clayface is, unsurprisingly, “definitely R rated.”

“I think one of the things Peter and I discussed when we first received the script was that if we were producing movies five years ago, during our time with Belko Experiment and similar projects, and someone brought us this horror script called Clayface about this guy, we would have been thrilled to produce it. It's just a really excellent body horror script, and the fact that it's part of the DCU is just an added bonus,” Gunn concluded.