DCU co-chiefs James Gunn and Peter Safran have recently shared exciting details about the upcoming Clayface movie, confirming its status within the DCU canon and its R rating.

Clayface, known for his ability to transform his clay-like body into any form, is a classic villain from Gotham City and one of Batman's earliest adversaries. The character, originally named Basil Karlo, debuted in Detective Comics #40 back in 1940.

DC Studios announced last month that Clayface will hit theaters on September 11, 2026. The decision to focus on Clayface came after the success of HBO’s The Penguin series. Esteemed horror director Mike Flanagan is set to pen the screenplay, with Lynn Harris and The Batman director Matt Reeves producing the film.

Confirmed DCU Projects

11 ImagesDuring a DC Studios presentation covered by IGN, Gunn and Safran explained why Clayface is essential to the DCU and not part of Matt Reeves’ The Batman Epic Crime Saga.

“Clayface is absolutely DCU,” Gunn stated emphatically. Safran added, “The only projects in Matt’s world, his Epic Crime Saga, are the Batman Trilogy and the Penguin series. They're under DC Studios, and we have a great relationship with Matt, but those are the only ones. It was crucial for us to include Clayface in the DCU to tell an origin story of a classic Batman villain that fits perfectly in our universe.”

Gunn further elaborated that Clayface wouldn’t mesh well with the more grounded approach of Reeves’ saga. “It was very outside of the grounded, non-super metahuman characters in Matt's world,” he noted.

Safran revealed that DC Studios is currently negotiating with James Watkins, the director of Speak No Evil, to helm Clayface. With filming set to begin this summer, the project seems to be moving forward swiftly.

“This summer, we’ll start rolling cameras on Clayface, a gripping body horror film that explores the compelling origin of this iconic Batman villain,” Safran said. “Mike Flanagan’s exceptional screenplay convinced us to add this to our slate. We’re in the final stages of negotiations with James Watkins to direct, and we'll start casting once the deal is finalized. Shooting this summer, Clayface is scheduled for release in the fall of 2026. While Clayface might not be as well-known as The Penguin or The Joker, we believe his story is just as resonant, compelling, and even more terrifying.”

Throughout the presentation, Safran described Clayface as “experimental” and not a “traditional superhero tentpole movie,” but rather an “indie style chiller.” Gunn emphasized the film's horror elements, calling it “pure f***ing horror, like, totally real. It’s a psychological and body horror experience that’s genuinely disturbing.”

Gunn also confirmed that Clayface will indeed be rated R. “When Peter and I first read the script, we were reminded of the horror films we produced years ago, like The Belko Experiment. If someone had brought us this script back then, we would have been thrilled to produce it. The fact that it’s part of the DCU is just an added bonus,” Gunn remarked.