James Gunn: Clayface Movie Essential to DCU, Not Reeves' Batman Saga

DCU co-chiefs James Gunn and Peter Safran have recently shed light on the upcoming film, "Clayface," confirming its place within the DCU canon and its R rating. Clayface, known for his ability to transform his clay-like body into any form or person, is a long-standing adversary of Batman. The character, first introduced as Basil Karlo in Detective Comics #40 (1940), has captivated audiences for decades.

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

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During a DC Studios presentation attended by IGN, Gunn and Safran emphasized why Clayface was chosen for the DCU rather than Matt Reeves’ "The Batman Epic Crime Saga." Gunn stated, "Clayface is totally DCU." Safran added, "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."

They stressed the importance of integrating Clayface into the DCU, with Gunn noting, "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." He further explained that Clayface's fantastical nature made it unsuitable for the more grounded approach of Reeves' saga.

Safran revealed that DC Studios is currently negotiating with James Watkins, the director of "Speak No Evil," to helm "Clayface." The film is set to start shooting this summer. "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 remarked.

He also mentioned plans to begin casting as soon as the director deal is finalized. The film is slated for a fall 2026 release. Safran noted that while Clayface may not be as well-known as The Penguin or The Joker, his story is equally compelling and potentially more terrifying.

Throughout the presentation, Safran described "Clayface" as "experimental," diverging from traditional superhero films, labeling it an "indie style chiller." Gunn echoed this sentiment, 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, expressing enthusiasm for the project. "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," Gunn elaborated.