The DCU's 2026 Batman villain film was not a part of James Gunn and Peter Safran's original 10-year plan for the new DC Studios franchise, but it was just too good to pass up. Most projects within Chapter 1 (officially deemed "Gods and Monsters") of the DCU have not received release dates or even production start dates yet, but that is not the case for 2026's Clayface. That movie, which will be the first villain-led movie in the franchise, is set to be released on September 11, 2026, and has just recently cast its lead actor, Tom Rhys Harries.
According to James Gunn, he and Peter Safran were not planning on developing a Clayface film in the opening chapter of the DCU. However, once he read horror filmmaker Mike Flanagan's script for the film, he simply couldn't say no to greenlighting the project.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly while promoting Superman (which released in theaters on July 11, 2025), DCU mastermind James Gunn spoke a bit about Clayface, revealing that the "script is great," while also talking about how the film came into fruition.
According to Gunn, the first script that he saw from Mike Flanagan was "great," but the latest draft "is even better:"
"The new script is great. It's great. I mean, the first script was great, and then this new draft is even better.... The movie's definitely getting made."
Clayface's development process seems to be moving along quite quickly, especially considering Gunn's specific process for greenlighting DCU entries. In Gunn's own words, Superman director revealed that he "did not think [Clayface] was something that was going to happen" when Flanagan first approached him about the film.
However, Gunn thought it was simply too cool:
"Well, I think it was just we needed DCU content. Mike Flanagan is somebody who I've been friendly with for a long time, and he wrote me about 'Clayface.' He texted me about it really early on in my DC journey. Just being honest, I did not think that was something that was going to happen, but he came in and he pitched the idea and I was like, 'Oh s---! That's cool.'"
Gunn then revealed a bit about what fans can expect from the film, calling it "a body horror movie" that will be set within the DCU. Once again, though, Gunn reiterated that Clayface was brought about by Flanagan, and that it was something they originally "did not plan to do:"
"It's a body horror movie. It's a horror movie that, like any cool body horror movie, just happens to be in the DCU. And then he wrote the script, and the script was fantastic. We did not plan to do 'Clayface.' That was really something he brought to us."
Clayface is expected to follow the character arc that the Batman villain is most known for (find out about the difficulties Gunn is having with Batman here). There may be some slight changes, but in the source material, Clayface is an actor who gives himself injections in order to stay relevant. However, they take a toll on his body, turning him into a horrific-looking shapeshifter.
What Clayface's Existence Means for the DCU
The way Clayface came about says a lot about how James Gunn and Peter Safran will run the DCU, and, for most fans, it is probably a positive sign for the future of the franchise.
Gunn and Safran have a very specific plan for the DCU. The pair made that clear the day they were announced as the masterminds of DC Studios' interconnected universe. However, that doesn't mean they are unreceptive to ideas from outside filmmakers or writers.
Clayface was not planned at all. However, the script was so good that Gunn wanted it to be a part of the franchise. Since he was so willing to read the script and give it a chance rather than simply shut it down and say no, that means something like this could happen again in the future.
It is possible that, throughout the DCU's existence, if a script is good enough, it could make its way into the franchise, even if it wasn't something Gunn and Safran previously had planned.
That essentially means a movie or TV show about any character or DC storyline could be made, just as long as the story is up to par with the rest of the franchise. With Superman showing strong signs of success at the box office, it is safe to say that the future of the DCU will continue to include riskier, off-the-wall stories if the ideas are good enough.
