Gunn Clarifies Clayface Movie's DCU Inclusion, Not Reeves' Batman Saga

DCU co-chiefs James Gunn and Peter Safran have officially confirmed that the upcoming movie Clayface will be part of the DCU canon and carry an R rating.

Clayface, a notable villain from Gotham City known for his ability to morph his clay-like body into any form, has been a long-standing adversary of Batman since his debut as Basil Karlo in Detective Comics #40 in 1940. The film's release is scheduled for September 11, 2026, and its development was greenlit following the positive reception of HBO's The Penguin series. Renowned horror filmmaker Mike Flanagan is set to write the screenplay, while Lynn Harris and The Batman director Matt Reeves will produce the movie.

Confirmed DCU Projects

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

“Clayface is totally DCU,” Gunn stated firmly. Safran added, “The only projects within Matt’s world are the Batman Trilogy and the Penguin series. These remain under DC Studios and our oversight. We share a fantastic relationship with Matt, but those are the only projects in his lane.”

Gunn further explained that Clayface did not fit into Reeves’ more grounded narrative, stating, “It was very outside of the grounded non-super metahuman characters in Matt's world.”

Safran revealed that DC Studios is currently negotiating with James Watkins, the director of Speak No Evil, to helm Clayface. Filming is slated to begin this summer.

“This summer, we'll start rolling cameras on Clayface, which promises to be an incredible body horror film delving into the origin of a classic Batman villain,” Safran remarked. “The strength of Mike Flanagan's exceptional screenplay prompted us to add this title to our slate. We're in negotiations with James Watkins to direct, and we’ll begin casting once the director deal is finalized. Clayface might not be as well-known as The Penguin or The Joker, but we believe his story is equally compelling and, in many ways, more terrifying.”

Throughout the presentation, Safran described Clayface as “experimental,” differentiating it from traditional superhero films and labeling it an “indie style chiller.” Gunn echoed this sentiment, calling it “pure f***ing horror, like, totally real. It's psychological, body horror, and downright gross.”

Confirming the film's R rating, Gunn added, “When Peter and I first got the script, we thought back to producing movies like The Belko Experiment. If someone had brought us this horror script about Clayface five years ago, we would have been thrilled to produce it. It’s an excellent body horror script, and the fact that it's part of the DCU is just an added bonus.”