Summary
As James Gunn wrangles the wide world ofDC Comicsfor the rebranded DCU at Warner Bros., fans can barely move for TV shows and movies based on the comic book powerhouse. Matt Reeves is also overseeing his own separate ‘Reevesverse’ that’s led by Robert Pattinson’s Batman, meaning the many years of the Caped Crusader’s adventures are ripe for exploring. Now, an iconic Batman villain is finally set to get their time to shine in a big screen adventure fromDC Studios.
When it comes to the Dark Knight’s extensive rogues' gallery, the likes of the Joker, Catwoman, and Penguin tend to steal the limelight. The various Batman movies have brought more underground villains, including Bane and the Scarecrow, to life, while ensembles likeSuicide Squadhave given a smorgasbord of weird and wonderful enemies a chance. Still, Clayface remains anunderrated Batman villainlargely confirmed to animated form…until now.
The Tragic History of Clayface
There have been many iterations of Clayface over the years, with numerous people taking the moniker in both the comics and animated form. Whether it be Malachi Throne playing the Clayface-inspired False Face in 1966’sBatmanor Alan Tudyk inHarley Quinn, there was more recent speculation thatThe Penguin’s Eve Karlo (Carmen Ejogo) is being set up as a gender-flipped Clayface for the Reevesverse. Making things even more complicated,The Haunting of Hill HouseandMidnight Mass’ Mike Flanaganis now writing aClayfacemovie.
Introduced in 1940’sDetective Comics#40,Clayface was the alias of Basil Karlo, a washed-up actor who took on the villainous identity of a character he’d portrayed. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, the original Clayface was inspired by Lon Chaney’s performance inThe Phantom of the Opera. After Karlo only appeared twice in the Golden Age, the sci-fi boom of the 1950s led to the next version being wildly different. Most associate Clayface with his shape-shifting abilities, which arrived alongside Matt Hagen’s Clayface inDetective Comics#298 in 1961. Hagen gained his powers when he fell into a pool of radioactive protoplasm and could change his body at will.
Preston Payne took over as Clayface inDetective Comics#478 as a scientist suffering from hyperpituitarism who used Hagen’s blood to try and cure himself. IfEjogo is destined to play a female Clayface, she wouldn’t be the first. Sondra Fuller used Strike Force Kobra’s technology to become Lady Clay and went on to form the ‘Mud Pack’ with Karlo and Payne. Payne and Fuller had a son, with Cassius “Clay” Payne becoming the fifth Clayface as a metahuman with shapeshifting powers, while Dr. Peter Malley used a sample of Cassius’ skin to become Clay-Thing in 1998. Most recently, Todd Russell was an injured army soldier who had his memory wiped and was experimented on to become Clayface, before firefighter Johnny Williams became Clayface following an explosion in a chemical plant.
Unlike most Batman villains being a single person like Penguin or Catwoman, the fact there have been eight Clayfaces could work in Flanagan’s favor. With so many different backstories to pick from, he’s not restricted to one specific story. Still, with even The New 52 reimagining Karlo to have shapeshifting powers, fans are expecting a creature feature where Clayface actually transforms. Importantly, the various tragic backstories of Clayface make for a sympathetic antihero which are still all the rage – unless you’re talking aboutColin Farrell’s irredeemable Oz Cobb/Penguin.
News of aClayfacemovie it’s exactly surprising, with Flanagan previously explaining hisfailed pitch to DC Studiosin 2023. Clayface has become increasingly popular, and from his appearance inBatman: The Animated Series' beloved “Feat of Clay” episode to a particularly tough final boss battle in Rocksteady’sBatman: Arkham City, there have already been some interesting takes on the character’s backstory. Most live-action Clayface portrayals are remembered for dodgy CGI or cheap-looking costumes, but with the big budget of Warner Bros. behind it and real potential to be a modern body horror in the vein ofThe Fly, audiences are right to be excited.
There’s still a question of whereClayfacefits in terms of canon, which could be a deciding factor in whether it’s a hit or not. Despite complaints of franchise fatigue, the easiest place to put aClayfacemovie would be part of the ever-expanding DCU. James Gunn has confirmed that only about half of the first phase (Chapter One: God and Monsters) has been announced so far. There are also the ‘Elseworld’ projects that encompass Matt Reeves’The Batmanand Todd Phillips’ world ofThe Joker.Clayfacecould fairly easily slot into Reeves’ world, especially with rumors that the character was being cued as avillain forThe Batman Part II. Alternatively, it could be a completely standalone outing without being tied to an expanded universe.
Most would assume that some form of Batman will appear in theClayfacemovie, although Sony delivered threeVenommovies,Morbius,Madame Web, andKraven the Hunterwithout featuring Spider-Man or even clarifying which iteration of the wall-crawling hero could be counted as their version of the character. Going against the idea ofClayfacebeing part of the Reevesverse, its September 2026 release date puts it incredibly close toThe Batman Part II’s October 2026 release. Whether connected or not, it seems unlikely the Pattinson-led sequel would also feature Clayface as a villain.
Gunn has attempted to clear up some confusion onThreads, and when someone shared a post suggesting Scarecrow and Matt Hagen’s era of Clayface will be the big bads ofThe Batman Part II, he clarified:
”Firstly, no. Secondly, couldn’t be the case as there hasn’t yet been a first draft of a script.”
Although no director or cast has been locked in yet, there’s plenty of buzz thatFlanagan will write and direct. In a now-deleted post from 2021, he said he’d be interested in leading aClayfacemovie and said he’d imagined it as a “horror/thriller/tragedy.” He’s also apparently a big fan of the Clayface episodes ofBatman: The Animated Series, suggesting that it could be worth a rewatch. Either way, reports thatClayfacewill be made for a reasonable $40 million puts it in the same bracket as Flanagan’s underratedDoctor Sleep.
If theClayfacedirector can stick the landing, it gives hope to more villain spin-offs that could populate the increasingly long wait between mainline Batman movies. TheSony Spider-Man Universe is a lesson on how not to build an expanded universe, and while there are sure to be those who’d rather have a wholly standaloneClayfacemovie, an unexpected hit could give other underrated Batman villains a chance. Whether it’s aFrankenstein-inspired Solomon Grundy outing or a Professor Pyg slasher, it’s refreshing to get away from yet another movie when Batman faces off with the Joker. Even though anErasermovie seems unlikely, stranger things have happened in Hollywood.
