Mike Flanagan’s Clayface movie could be the best DCU movie since Joker

If you’d told us 10 years ago that James Gunn had ordered a standalone Clayface horror movie as DC Studios’ next big thing, we’d have laughed… but now it makes so much sense, and it could be the boldest (and bravest) move since Joker. 

Following the success of The Penguin, shapeshifting supervillain Clayface is set to get his cinematic moment, with sources telling Variety that horror icon Mike Flanagan is tapped to pen the script. 

Plot details, for now, are being kept under wraps, and it’s unclear whether this will be part of the main DCU continuity or Elseworlds. Matt Reeves and Lynn Harris are reportedly attached to produce the title, but then Clayface makes an appearance in the DC Universe’s Creature Commandos.

Regardless, the news of a Clayface flick is exciting for many reasons. Much like the Batman foe himself, DC Studios looks ready to leave behind its old skin and shapeshift into something new.

Clayface could be the next great anti-hero

DC Comics

Firstly, Clayface is a great character. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, the DC villain first debuted in Detective Comics #40 in 1940, under the name Basil Karlo. Originally, Karlo was an actor who turned to crime after the failure of a horror movie he starred in.

Over the years, though, his character evolved, with different iterations of the villain emerging. In one continuity, Karlo gains shapeshifting abilities, while in another, his body becomes malleable as clay. 

Multiple characters have taken on the muddy mantle. From Matt Hagen, who was transformed by a mutagenic pool, to the more recent portrayal of Clayface as an almost Lovecraftian tragedy, his stories have often dealt with issues of identity and self-perception, themes that are ripe for exploration in a modern DC film.

The new movie would be far from the first time seeing Clayface on screen. Brian McManamon portrayed the character in the Gotham TV series, Ron Perlman voiced him in Batman: The Animated Series and Alan Tudyk plays him in Creature Commandos. 

However, this would be his first feature-length turn on the big screen, and his capacity for transformation, both physically and metaphorically, makes him perfect for this. Back in March 2023, sources told Deadline that Flanagan’s Clayface wouldn’t be a straightforward villain, meaning he could very well go down the anti-hero route. 

We need only look at the success of Todd Phillips’ first Joker film to see how well this could work for Clayface. Much like the anti-hero arc of Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker, his descent into madness could resonate with audiences, humanizing the central character and making him relatable – despite his flaws. 

A new era for the DCU

Warner Bros.

Let’s also not ignore the fact that Flanagan is attached to write the film. Just a brief look through his resume will confirm that this is a guy who knows horror – Gerald’s Game, Doctor Sleep and, of course, his Netflix Haunting series.

Back in 2021, Flanagan expressed his desire to create a Clayface movie as a “horror/thriller/tragedy.” Now, his vision looks set to become reality, and if anyone can craft a compelling, emotionally resonant story that still delivers a chilling punch, it’s him.

This rings especially true under the leadership of Gunn, who has proven time and again that he can turn z-list characters into icons. Look at how he transformed the Guardians of the Galaxy from a group of misfit heroes no one cared about into one of the most beloved franchises in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

His ability to lead compelling, character-driven narratives with humor and heart makes him well-suited to transforming the oddball villain into an anti-hero worth rooting for. If he can do it with wise-cracking raccoons and talking trees, he can do it with the clay man. 

Right now is a pivotal moment for the comic book franchise. The DCEU’s previous attempts to mimic the success of the MCU often resulted in films that were weighed down by grim tones and way-too-serious stakes. 

With the shift in direction marked by Creature Commandos, which has already begun to lean into a more fun, irreverent, and genre-bending approach, DC Studios seems ready to embrace a new era.

Whether Flanagan’s flick falls under the main DCU continuity or finds a home under the Elseworlds banner, it points to a more flexible approach – much like Clayface himself, constantly shifting and evolving.

While we wait for more updates, be sure to check our our rundown of the best superhero movies and best superhero TV shows of all time. You can also read everything we know about Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, James Gunn’s Superman, and The Batman 2.