James Gunn Explains Why the Clayface Movie Had to Be a Part of the DCU and Not Matt Reeves' The Batman Epic Crime Saga

James Gunn and Peter Safran, co-chiefs of DC Studios, have confirmed the upcoming Clayface movie will be canon within the DC Universe (DCU) and carry an R rating. Clayface, a long-time Batman adversary with the power to shapeshift his clay-like body, first appeared as Basil Karlo in Detective Comics #40 (1940). The film, slated for release on September 11, 2026, was greenlit following the success of HBO's The Penguin series. Horror filmmaker Mike Flanagan penned the script, with Lynn Harris producing alongside The Batman director Matt Reeves.

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During a DC Studios presentation to IGN, Gunn and Safran explained Clayface's place within the DCU, distinguishing it from Matt Reeves' The Batman Epic Crime Saga. Gunn confirmed, "Clayface is totally DCU," clarifying that only the Batman trilogy and The Penguin series fall under Reeves' separate, yet still DC Studios-affiliated, narrative. They emphasized the importance of Clayface within the broader DCU, describing it as an origin story for a classic villain integral to their universe. Gunn noted that Clayface's tone wouldn't have suited the grounded realism of Reeves' work, stating it was "very outside of the grounded non-super metahuman characters in Matt's world."

Safran announced that James Watkins (Speak No Evil) is in final negotiations to direct, with filming commencing this summer. He described Clayface as an "experimental" and "indie style chiller," a departure from traditional superhero fare. Gunn further elaborated, calling it "pure f***ing horror, like, totally real…so real and true and psychological and body horror and gross." The film's R rating was also confirmed. Gunn concluded by expressing his excitement for the project, stating that if presented with the script five years prior, they would have eagerly produced it regardless of its DCU context, highlighting the script's inherent quality as a body horror piece.