James Gunn and Peter Safran, co-chiefs of DC Studios, have officially confirmed that the upcoming Clayface movie is part of the DCU and will carry an R rating. Clayface, a shapeshifting villain with a clay-like body, has been a formidable adversary for Batman since his debut in Detective Comics #40 in 1940. DC Studios recently announced that Clayface will hit theaters on September 11, 2026. The decision to greenlight this project was influenced by the success of HBO's The Penguin series. Horror maestro Mike Flanagan is set to pen the screenplay, with Lynn Harris and The Batman director Matt Reeves on board as producers.
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During a DC Studios presentation, Gunn and Safran elaborated on why Clayface fits into the DCU rather than Matt Reeves' The Batman Epic Crime Saga. Gunn stated, "Clayface is totally DCU. It's an origin story for a classic Batman villain that we want to have in our world." Safran added, "The only thing that's in Matt's world, his Crime Saga that he's telling, is the Batman Trilogy, the Penguin series, that's in that lane. So still under DC Studios, still under us. We have an incredible relationship with Matt, but those are the only things."
Gunn further explained that Clayface wouldn't suit the more grounded, non-super metahuman setting of Reeves' saga. Safran announced that negotiations are underway with James Watkins, director of Speak No Evil, to helm the film. Filming is slated to begin this summer, aiming for a fall 2026 release. Safran described Clayface as an "incredible body horror film" and praised Flanagan's exceptional screenplay.
Throughout the presentation, Safran labeled Clayface as "experimental," diverging from traditional superhero films and leaning more towards an "indie style chiller." Gunn emphasized the movie's horror elements, calling it "pure f\*\*\*ing horror, like, totally real. Their version of that movie, it is so real and true and psychological and body horror and gross."
Confirming the film's R rating, Gunn expressed his excitement about the project, noting that if he and Safran were producing films five years ago, they would have jumped at the chance to work on such a compelling horror script. The inclusion of Clayface in the DCU is seen as an added bonus, promising a unique and terrifying cinematic experience.
