DCU co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran have confirmed the upcoming Clayface film, solidifying its place within the DCU and revealing its R-rating.

Clayface, a notorious Gotham City criminal with shape-shifting abilities, is a long-standing Batman adversary. The character's first incarnation, Basil Karlo, debuted in Detective Comics #40 (1940).

DC Studios announced a September 11, 2026 release date last month. This decision reportedly followed the success of HBO's The Penguin series. Horror maestro Mike Flanagan penned the script, with Lynn Harris producing alongside The Batman director Matt Reeves.

Confirmed DCU Projects

11 Images

Gunn and Safran, speaking at a DC Studios presentation attended by IGN, explained Clayface's inclusion in the main DCU, rather than Matt Reeves' The Batman universe.

"Clayface is definitively DCU," Gunn stated. Safran added, "Matt's world, his Crime Saga, encompasses only the Batman trilogy and The Penguin series. It's all under DC Studios, but those are the only titles within that specific continuity. We have a fantastic relationship with Matt, but that's the delineation."

"It was crucial for Clayface to be part of the broader DCU. It's an origin story for a classic Batman villain we wanted within our universe," Gunn emphasized. He further explained that Clayface wouldn't have fit the grounded tone of Reeves' saga.

"It deviated significantly from the grounded, non-superpowered metahuman characters in Matt's world," Gunn noted.

Safran confirmed that negotiations with Speak No Evil director James Watkins are underway to helm Clayface, and it appears to be a done deal. Filming is slated to commence this summer.

"This summer, cameras roll on Clayface, a gripping body horror film exploring the compelling origin of a classic Batman villain," Safran announced. "We added this project to our lineup based on Mike Flanagan's exceptional screenplay. We're currently in talks with James Watkins to direct, and casting will begin once the directorial agreement is finalized. The fall 2026 release remains on schedule. Clayface might be less familiar than The Penguin or The Joker, but we believe his story is equally compelling, resonant, and arguably, more terrifying."

During the presentation, Safran described Clayface as "experimental," distinct from a typical superhero blockbuster, and an "indie-style chiller." Gunn described it as "pure f***ing horror, intensely realistic. Their take on the movie is incredibly authentic, psychological, visceral body horror, and truly disturbing."

Gunn confirmed the R-rating, stating, "Peter and I discussed this when we first saw the script. If we were producing films five years ago, during the Belko Experiment era, and someone pitched this horror script about Clayface, we would have jumped at the chance. It's an exceptional body horror script, and its inclusion in the DCU is a bonus."