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

James Gunn and Peter Safran, co-chiefs of DCU, have provided exciting updates about the upcoming film, *Clayface*. This movie has been confirmed as part of the DCU canon and will carry an R rating, promising a deep dive into horror and psychological elements.

Clayface, a well-known adversary of Batman, is a former criminal from Gotham City with the unique ability to transform his clay-like body into various forms. The character, first introduced as Basil Karlo in Detective Comics #40 back in 1940, has a rich history within the DC universe.

DC Studios recently announced that *Clayface* is slated for release on September 11, 2026. The decision to develop this film was influenced by the success of HBO's *The Penguin* series. Horror maestro Mike Flanagan is set to pen the screenplay, while Lynn Harris and *The Batman* director Matt Reeves will produce the film.

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During a DC Studios presentation attended by IGN, Gunn and Safran elaborated on why *Clayface* fits into the DCU rather than Matt Reeves' *The Batman* Epic Crime Saga. Gunn stated, "Clayface is totally DCU," while Safran clarified, "The only thing that's in Matt's world, his Crime Saga that he's telling, is the Batman Trilogy, the Penguin series, that's in that lane. So still under DC Studios, still under us. We have an incredible relationship with Matt, but those are the only things."

Safran emphasized the importance of including Clayface in the DCU, saying, "It was important that Clayface be part of the DCU. It's an origin story for a classic Batman villain that we want to have in our world." Gunn added that Clayface wouldn't have been suitable for the more grounded narrative of Reeves' saga, noting, "It was very outside of the grounded non-super metahuman characters in Matt's world."

DC Studios is currently negotiating with James Watkins, the director of *Speak No Evil*, to helm *Clayface*. Safran shared that filming is scheduled to begin this summer, stating, "This summer, cameras are going to roll on Clayface, an incredible body horror film that reveals a compelling origin of a classic Batman villain, and this is another title that we added to the slate on the strength of an exceptional screenplay by Mike Flanagan."

Safran also mentioned that casting will commence once the director deal is finalized, and the film is set for a fall 2026 release. He highlighted the unique nature of *Clayface*, describing it as "experimental" and an "indie style chiller," while Gunn emphasized its horror elements, calling it "pure f\*\*\*ing horror, like, totally real. Their version of that movie, it is so real and true and psychological and body horror and gross."

Gunn confirmed the film's R rating, adding, "I think that one of the things Peter and I talked about when we first got the script is if we were producing movies five years ago when we were doing Belko Experiment and all of that stuff, and somebody had brought us this horror script called Clayface about this guy, we would have died to have produced this movie, because it was just a really excellent body horror script, and the fact that it's in the DCU is just a plus."