DC Studios already redesigned the DCU's Gotham City in Clayface. James Gunn's DCU is keeping fans waiting to meet their next Batman, as the studio has struggled to get The Brave and the Bold off the ground. Crafted by The Flash's writer-director duo, Christian Hodson and Andy Muschietti, the movie is being saved until after February 2028's The Batman 2. But that hasn't stopped the Caped Crusader's home from being sprinkled throughout the DCU, first in Creature Commandos and soon in Clayface, a body-horror flick centered on the shape-shifting Batman villain.
After releasing Clayface's teaser trailer in April, DC Studios dropped the official trailer for its upcoming DCU body horror in July. In the three-month gap, the production has made major changes to the coloring and tone of its live-action Gotham City, but the differences extended far beyond that.
There's no denying that the Gotham City skyline has received a major digital overhaul, flattening its height, packing it more tightly with more buildings, and abandoning many of the tall skyscrapers. These stylistic choices are crucial as the DCU's Gotham comes to life for the first time ahead of Batman's debut, transforming the view from Liverpool, U.K., into its own fictional city.
The DCU's Gotham City won't be revealed in all of its live-action glory until Clayface, but DC Studios already featured Batman's hometown in Creature Commandos Episode 6 as it revealed Doctor Phosphorus' backstory.
The Gotham cityscape is defined in Creature Commandos through its dark, classic noir aesthetic, even placing the city's infamous gargoyles high in the skies.
Having unlocked his radioactive superpowers and risen the ranks of Gotham's criminal underworld, Phosphorus danced the night away in the Ice Lounge, seemingly the DCU's version of the Penguin's famous nightclub.
As fans await the next Dark Knight's casting (expected to arrive after The Batman: Part 2 hits theaters in February 2028), Creature Commandos revealed the first look at the DCU's Batman. The muscle-monster Caped Crusader looked down upon the Ice Lounge as he prepared to take on Doctor Phosporus' criminal enterprise.
Right from the DC Studios logo in Clayface's trailer, the movie establishes Gotham City as the grim, fiery, industrial hellhole that fans know it to be.
Even though Clayface was filmed mostly in the Northern English city of Liverpool, what looks to be the New York skyline is pictured behind Matt Hagen, hinting that the Big Apple may be a model for the DCU's Gotham, as it was in Joker.
Fans also see a movie premiere taking place at a Times Square-esque location, once again teasing that New York will inspire the next Gotham. One could theorize that Hagen's stardom will take him to the real-world U.S. city if it weren't for the Gotham Lottery digital billboard illuminating the scary setting.
One Clayface location connects the Batman spin-off to Zatanna, as the magical superhero's regular performance hotspot, Club Vesuvius, was featured.
At every turn, the Clayface trailer convinces audiences that this is a dangerous, crime-ridden city, ruled by mob law, lit by just glimmers of vibrant neon light.
Clayface shows Matt Magen fleeing from danger down a dark alleyway, showcasing the exact kind of environment in which Bruce Wayne's parents were likely killed in the DCU many years earlier, leading to Batman's inception.
Matt Hagen doesn't seem to be the only one evading danger in Gotham, as Naomi Ackie's Dr. Caitlin Corr is pursued through a dark, yet vibrant underpass, although perhaps it may be her accidental supervillain creation that stalks her.
The DCU's Gotham City is confirmed to feature 43 major locations from the Batman mythos, including the Amusement Mile, a carnival region along the grimy metropolis' waterfront where Dr. Corr may be in grave danger.
Clayface hits theaters on October 23 and will be the next entry in James Gunn's DCU after Lanterns, which is now airing every Sunday on HBO and HBO Max. The R-rated Batman spin-off stars Tom Rhys Harries' Matt Hagen, Naomi Ackie's Dr. Caitlin Corr, Max Minghella's John Borelli, Eddie Marsan, and more.
James Gunn's Gotham Is Going to Evolve Majorly In Future Years
James Gunn confirmed to the official DC site upon announcing the original Chapter 1 slate that creative will be able to "bring remarkably different looks, feels, and tones" to each project, allowing for more "self-expression" (a rule that he has arguably already broken when it comes to Supergirl):
"Even though this is all a connected universe, it’s really important to me that the individual writers and directors on the projects give their own self-expression to it, just like they do in the comics. Everything doesn’t always look the same. Everything doesn’t always have the same expression. Different artists bring remarkably different looks, feels, and tones. This is not the Gunnverse."
He also told CBS Mornings, with specific reference to Clayface, that the DCU will have "no company style," even if it does take place in the same universe:
"‘Clayface’ is a totally different thing. Although it’s in the same universe, it’s a complete horror film, and that’s one of the things we want to do. There’s no company style. It’s not like every movie is gonna be like ‘Superman.’ The artists, the directors, and the writers who create each one will bring their own sense to it. … We don’t want people being bored."
Fans can already get a sense of that happening with the DCU's Gotham, shifting from a classic noir, mob-ruled domain in Creature Commandos to a heavily-industrialized cityscape in Clayface. The change will allow DC Studios' writers and directors even more freedom to create movies and TV shows, ensuring they are bound only by narrative canon and character consistency.
While Clayface is, naturally, refining its own take on Gotham in the final months before its release, DC Studios' unique approach to a cinematic universe means it doesn't have to worry too much about locky in an aesthetic for the city. After all, Gotham, or at least the parts of it that have appeared so far, clearly looks different when placing Creature Commandos and Clayface side by side.
That decision may be for the best, as a low-budget, $40 million horror like Clayface will be limited in just how stylized Gotham can be, forcing it to rely on practical sets and locations. However, The Brave and the Bold is likely to be a $200 million blockbuster with more spare funds to create a unique setting and usuals, as it should be able to do so without the burden of a previous low-budget flick.
