The upcoming Clayface movie will not feel like any other DCU project that’s being developed. While Superman is aiming to inspire hope, this one dives deep into pure terror. Speaking with CBS Mornings, James Gunn teased the tone of the film, saying:
“And then we got Clayface, which is like a totally different thing. Although it’s in the same universe, it’s a complete horror film. That’s one of the things we want to do… there’s not a company style. It’s not like every movie is going to be like Superman.”
For Gunn, the goal is to keep each project distinct, mirroring what DC Comics has always done on the page:
“The artists and the directors and the writers that create each one will bring their own sense to it.”
The movie comes from writer Mike Flanagan, the mind behind The Haunting of Hill House and Doctor Sleep, wrote the original script. While it’s seen some rewrites from Drive screenwriter Hossein Amini, Gunn insists “it’s all Mike’s story.”
Bringing the story to life is James Watkins, the filmmaker behind the chilling 2024 psychological nightmare Speak No Evil, as well as The Woman in Black and Eden Lake. With Flanagan and Watkins at the helm, expect a DC film that leans into atmospheric dread and visceral horror.
Gunn previously said of the film: “[It’s] 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.”
Flanagan prevously opened up about the project and confirmed that his version of Clayface was heavily inspired by the acclaimed two-part Batman: The Animated Series episode “Feat of Clay.”
When asked if his script was inspired by that, Flanagan said:
“Of course it was. I mean that is the perfect [story]. ‘Feat of Clay,’ Ron Perlman, to me, that’s it. That two-parter knocked me out. The short answer is that is absolutely that is what inspired my script.
“That is the world I wanted to live in. Batman: The Animated Series when I was growing up was my Batman. As much as [Michael] Keaton was my Batman, The Animated Series really was my Batman.”
That emotional anchor from the animated series clearly left a mark on Flanagan. While he’s not directing the film due to other projects like Carrie, his story may still shape the final product.
Clayface first appeared in Detective Comics back in 1940. Traditionally, the character is an actor who becomes a criminal after embracing his monstrous alter ego. Across the decades, multiple versions have shared his signature shape-shifting, clay-like body—an ability that will undoubtedly play into the film’s unsettling tone.
DC Studios plans to release Clayface on September 11, 2026.
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