DC Studios Will Officially Break Its 21-Year Batman Release Rule in 2026

Unfortunately, DC Studios' next Batman-adjacent blockbuster will abandon a franchise standard release format. Fans are eagerly anticipating two new movies from DC Studios starring the Dark Knight, including the continuation of Matt Reeves' Crime Saga in The Batman: Part 2 and the undated arrival of the DCU's version in The Brave and the Bold. Five years of waiting for The Batman 2 will end in October 2027, but before then, Clayface will follow in Joker's footsteps. Taking place in the DCU, Clayface stars Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen, a down on his luck actor who is transformed into the monstrous shape-shifter. 

IMAX revealed its 2026 release slate during its February investor presentation and, unlike June's Supergirl and last summer's Superman, DC Studios won't release Clayface in the premium theater format. In turn, the villain spin-off will become the first Batman-related movie not to hit IMAX in the 21 years since Batman Begins.

Hollywood blockbusters truly began to utilize IMAX after 2002, with Batman Begins arriving in June 2005 having been digitally remastered for the format. The Dark Knight was first Batman-centric flick to truly be shot for IMAX under director Christopher Nolan, something that has become a staple of his filmmaking style.

Every theatrically released DC movie to prominently feature Batman and his corner of the superhero universe, including the two Joker flicks, has come to IMAX screens for last 21 years, even The Lego Batman Movie:

• Batman Begins (2005)
• The Dark Knight (2008)
• The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
• Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
• The Lego Batman Movie (2017)
• Justice League (2017)
• Joker (2019)
• The Batman (2022)
• The Flash (2023)
• Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)

While the Dark Knight's next major live-action appearance won't come until next year in The Batman 2, DC's Caped Crusader will return in four new movies and TV shows before then, including an adaptation of one beloved storyline.

Why Isn't Clayface Being Released In IMAX?

Clayface was recently delayed from September 11 to October 26, shifting into the spooky season and ultimately fixing a big problem with the DCU's 2026 slate. One week earlier on October 16, Paramount will drop its Street Fighter movie, which was filmed for IMAX and is therefore likely to hold its screens for several weeks.

DC Studios shot its body horror Clayface for just $40 million, far lower than the usual superhero blockbuster which costs $150-200 million. The reduced budget may have been a driving factor in abandoning the expensive format, as IMAX cameras are famously costly to utilise and thus likely weren't a priority. 

Just because Clayface is leaving behind IMAX, ending an important streak for Batman blockbuster, that's not to say it won't be a visual spectacle. DC Studios will throw aside a usual CGI focus in favour of old-school body horror techniques to create shape-shifting terror practically and on a tighter budget.

The studio may be abandoning IMAX for Clayface, but it will continue to embrace the format with Supergirl, Man of Tomorrow, and The Batman: Part 2. Fans shouldn't take Clayface's controversial release decision as the beginning of a new trend, but rather a one-off blip and likely a cost-cutting measure.