It's been revealed that one DC Universe film was originally intended to be a part of Matt Reeves' The Batman saga. DC Studios is an interesting position at the moment, with two concurrent cinematic universes. One is the rebooted DCU overseen by DC Studios CEO's James Gunn and Peter Safran, which has so far included Peacemaker, Creature Commandos, and most recently, Superman. The other is an Elseworlds universe created by Matt Reeves, which includes Robert Pattinson's The Batman, and its TV spin-off The Penguin.
Reeves has outlined plans for more spin-off projects outside of his direct sequel to The Batman, although none have been officially announced. However, a new rumor from Nexus Point News reveals that the upcoming Clayface film was originally a part of Reeves' universe, not the DCU as it currently is. The outlet reports that Mike Flanagan, who conceived and wrote the first iteration of the Clayface film, began developing the movie as a part of the Batman Epic Crime Saga in 2023. However, when Clayface was officially greenlit in 2024, it was as part of the DCU instead (although Reeves remains a producer alongside DC Studios). This is a surprising shift that could hint at future plans for Clayface.
It was rumored back in 2023 that Clayface would be one of the villains in The Batman - Part II. It's unclear whether Flanagan's Clayface and The Batman - Part II's rumored Clayface were ever intended to be the same, with the character appearing in a solo film before returning in The Batman sequel. It also remains unconfirmed whether The Batman - Part II still intends to use Clayface as a villain. Given that Reeves only recently turned in the script for his Batman sequel, it's likely that the narrative has changed significantly since these rumors were reported two years ago.
Flanagan was originally set to direct the Clayface movie, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts and was replaced by James Watkins. The film recently found its lead in Tom Rhys Harries and will become the third live-action movie in Gunn's new DCU when it releases on September 11, 2026.
What Is the Future of Clayface in the DCU?
The decision to pull Clayface into the new DCU rather than keep the character in an Elseworlds universe suggests that Gunn and Safran may have bigger plans for the character.
While Clayface seems to be more of a standalone origin story for the villain without as many in-universe ties as Superman, setting this film in the DCU allows the character to be drawn upon in future superhero projects, including DC Studios' eventual Batman film. In fact, Clayface has already been introduced in the DCU once, appearing in animated form in Creature Commandos (where Alan Tudyk voiced him). It's possible Clayface could now serve as an origin story for this character, and allow him to be further established in the DCU.
Clayface's transition to the DCU may also have been a tonal issue. Clayface will be an R-rated body horror, which might have conflicted with the gritty noir tone prevalent in the Batman Epic Crime Saga. Moving Clayface to the DCU gives the film more freedom to play with its style and commit to its intended horror tone.
Clayface will also form a part of DCU Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters, filling out the back half of that equation. DC Studios has yet to confirm precisely what defines this first chapter, but Clayface's position as a villain-focused film may lean into the dichotomy that the DCU is trying to set up in this first phase.
