Warner Bros. and DC are actively developing a movie based on the DC villain Clayface, creating yet another Batman property that doesn’t feature Batman.
This move comes after the success of the Max original series The Penguin, which starred Colin Ferrel and was set within the world of DC’s feature film The Batman.
Colin Farrell as the Penguin in The Penguin (2024), Max
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The Penguin received a ton of critical praise and mainstream attention for its bold story and engaging drama. It was like a grittier more urban version of The Sopranos. Unfortunately, Warner Bros. seems to have (once again) learned the wrong lesson from this win. Much like the success of The Dark Knight led to the overly gritty and dark Snyderverse, the Bugs Bunny studio has apparently decided that people want more Batman properties but don’t necessarily have to see Batman in them.
Recent history wouldn’t support this idea. DC had a modest success with the show Gotham, which explored the Batman world before the Batman ever existed. The company followed this up with forgettable misses like Pennyworth, Titans, and Gotham Knights, all of which featured Batman characters with no caped crusader present.
(Titans showed Bruce Wayne, but he wasn’t a main character)
Clayface in Batman The animated Series – YouTube, DC Kids
Clayface will be written by Doctor Sleep filmmaker Mike Flanagan, according to a source close to the production. While nothing is yet known about the plot, reports indicate that filming will begin early next year.
The Batman director Matt Reeves and Lynn Harris will produce through their company 6th & Idaho Productions.
Clayface is a character DC has never touched in a live action Batman movie. The villain is a down on his luck actor who mutates into a sludge monster that can change his shape at will. While many believe Clayface would be a fantastic addition to a Batman movie, it’s odd that DC and Warner Bros. would decide the best way to go about bringing him in is outside a traditional Batman film.
Clayface in Batman The Animated Series – YouTube, DC Kids
The character was a regular in Batman’s rogues gallery in the classic cartoon Batman The Animated Series and was even the final boss in the video game Batman: Arkham City.
The standalone Clayface movie was first pitched by Flanagan in 2023. He’d tweeted back in 2021 that he was “really keen to do a standalone Clayface movie as a horror/thriller/tragedy.”
Do you think DC can succeed with a Clayface movie? Would you rather see him in a Batman film? Sound off in the comment section below and let us know!
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I might be enticed to check it out. We’ll see.
Nope. Zero interest in stand-alone villain movies.
Clayface is an interesting character, but at this point I refuse to bother with these villain movies without the corresponding hero.