Superhero stories that take the spotlight away from a well-known hero don’t always bear fruit — one needn’t look any further than Sony’s failed universe, which is likely ending with this month’s Kraven the Hunter, as evidence of all that could go wrong. But it’s not an inherently misguided idea, as DC and Matt Reeves just demonstrated with The Penguin, one of the best superhero spin-offs ever.
The HBO series managed to tell a grounded crime saga and an origin story at the same time, all without relying on the Caped Crusader. It won’t be the last project to recontextualize a classic Batman villain, either, as Reeves’ plans for the “Batman Epic Crime Saga” continue to shape up.
Back in 2022, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Reeves was already “meeting with writers and directors” to build out Batman’s rogue’s gallery. Scarecrow, Clayface, and Professor Pyg were apparently high on Reeves’ list of priorities, though THR noted that each project was in the “very early stages of gestation.” The project finally gained traction this year, with Reeves confirming that he is, in fact, developing a slew of new projects. With an animated Robin movie already on the upcoming slate, Reeves is also getting a Clayface movie off the ground, with a script courtesy of horror veteran Mike Flanagan.
Per Variety, Flanagan’s script for the upcoming Clayface movie has already been written and approved. Like Reeves, though, Flanagan has his hands full with many other projects, including a Carrie series and an Exorcist remake. That means he likely won’t have time to direct his Clayface story, but Reeves’ production company is set to back the project, and the search for a director is already underway.
Though plot details are being kept under wraps, it’s safe to assume that Flanagan’s script will lean into the more gruesome aspects of Clayface’s comic origins. For the uninitiated, Clayface was first introduced as a struggling actor turned small-time criminal. He initially disguised his face by wearing a clay mask, but in DC’s post-Crisis continuity, he became a shapeshifting blob after some scientific experimentation. He’s one of Batman’s oldest villains, so he’s had plenty of origin stories; one has to wonder which storyline Flanagan chose to adapt.
The Haunting of Hill House filmmaker has been “really keen” to bring Clayface to the big screen since 2021; in a since-deleted Twitter post, he revealed that his take on the character would be a “horror/thriller/tragedy.” Given Flanagan’s reputation, that much is a given. It won’t be the first Clayface story to embrace those aspects of the character, but it could become a definitive version of the villain. Though he’s popped up in every Batman story from The Animated Series to Gotham, he’s never gotten the spotlight. Without the Dark Knight in the way, the upcoming film could add new dimensions to the villain.
