DCU co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran have confirmed the upcoming Clayface film, emphasizing its place within the DCU canon and its R rating.
Clayface, a notorious Gotham City criminal with shape-shifting abilities, is a long-standing Batman adversary. Basil Karlo, the first iteration of the character, debuted in Detective Comics #40 (1940).
DC Studios announced a September 11, 2026, release date last month. This decision reportedly followed the success of HBO's The Penguin series. Horror maestro Mike Flanagan penned the screenplay, with Lynn Harris producing alongside The Batman director Matt Reeves.
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Gunn and Safran, speaking at a DC Studios presentation attended by IGN, explained Clayface's inclusion in the main DCU, differentiating it from Matt Reeves' The Batman Epic Crime Saga. Safran clarified that Reeves' saga encompasses only the Batman trilogy and The Penguin series, while maintaining a strong collaborative relationship with Reeves under the DC Studios umbrella.
Gunn emphasized the importance of Clayface's presence within the broader DCU, describing it as an origin story for a classic villain. He further explained that Clayface's tone wouldn't align with the grounded realism of Reeves' cinematic universe.
Negotiations with Speak No Evil director James Watkins to helm the project are reportedly nearing completion, with filming slated to begin this summer. Safran highlighted the film as a "body horror" piece presenting a compelling origin story, adding that its inclusion was driven by Flanagan's exceptional script. The film's fall 2026 release date remains unchanged. While acknowledging Clayface's lesser-known status compared to The Penguin or The Joker, Safran stressed the character's inherent resonance and terrifying potential.
During the presentation, Safran described Clayface as experimental, diverging from the typical superhero blockbuster format. Gunn described it as "pure f***ing horror," emphasizing its realistic, psychological, and visceral nature. The R rating was also confirmed. Gunn further stated that if presented with the script five years prior, they would have eagerly produced it due to its exceptional quality, viewing its place within the DCU as a bonus.
