James Gunn's R-Rated Batman Movie Set Photo Teases Superman Crossover

James Gunn's new R-rated Batman movie uniquely connects to 2025's Superman after set photos hinted at an exciting crossover. While DC Studios is still in the early stages of releases in its new universe, fans have already seen a few key crossover moments between major characters. This will continue into a new movie with heavy ties to the Batman universe.

Set photos from DC Studios' upcoming Clayface movie teased a crossover with the 2025 Superman film. Set photos from X user @EGGBOY_03 showed crew members unveiling a green and orange poster to be displayed on a stand on the set, depicting the DCU's new take on Gotham City.

The poster is a promotion for a coffee joint called Jitters Coffee, which is first said to be "Metropolis' finest coffee." Setting up shop at a new location, the company is announcing a move to Gotham City, moving away from Superman's home locale into Batman's classic territory.

The poster even uses the same logo that fans have already seen in a brief moment from Superman, confirming the interconnectivity between that movie and Clayface in the DC Universe.

While the coffee shop's presence was minimal in Superman, it became visually prominent during Superman's fight with the fire-breathing Kaiju in downtown Metropolis.

In the corner of the aforementioned shot, a large billboard for Jitters Coffee hangs on the side of a building, featuring a drawing of the actual coffee at the bottom, below the text.

While Clayface's plot remains mostly under wraps, these photos further confirm it will exist within the same universe set up by 2025's Superman movie. This is particularly important due to DC Studios developing this universe alongside Elseworlds projects like The Batman - Part II, which has its own full world moving forward with The Penguin on HBO Max.

Teased to be the DC Universe's first prequel movie, Clayface will be the franchise's third theatrical release after Superman and Supergirl. Starring Tom Rhys Harries and Naomi Ackie, the film will detail Matt Hagen's origin story as he becomes the clay-based antagonist and eventually wreaks havoc on Gotham City. Clayface is set to be released in theaters on September 11, 2026.

How Batman's World Is Set Up in Superman & Clayface

While Clayface is closer to finishing production than many expected, the greater Gotham area in the new DCU is still in the early stages of development under DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran. This includes The Brave and the Bold, the DCU's first true Batman movie, which will introduce the new franchise's Bruce and Damian Wayne, along with much more of the Bat Family.

Looking at the connections between Superman and Clayface, fans expect Batman to come into the fold with plenty of established ties to the greater universe upon his debut. This is especially true considering Superman's use of John Cena's Peacemaker in a cameo role, with Bruce Wayne far outranking Christopher Smith in terms of popularity amongst fans.

While Superman's involvement in Clayface is unlikely, the movie may establish the early stages of Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne's relationship before they become the pillars of the greater DCU story. Considering how far out Batman's first solo movie is, this could help make the wait for that story more bearable as his universe gets fleshed out.

DC Studios seems to be playing the long game in introducing Batman to the story, but given the name value, anticipation is sure to build as the world around Batman expands.