Has James Gunn figured out the cure to franchise fatigue? It may be too early to tell in his fledgling DC Universe, but after Superman's impressive critical and commercial success, he's undoubtedly off to a strong start. In addition to writing and directing the smash-hit reboot, Gunn and Peter Safran were appointed the co-chairmen of DC Studios in late 2022. Next up for the DCU on the big screen are Supergirl, directed by Craig Gillespie, and the lesser-known villain Clayface, with James Watkins directing a script written by horror juggernaut Mike Flanagan, along with Hossein Amini. However, don't expect for either film to mirror Superman's larger-than-life, heartfelt tone, or its saturated, Silver Age-inspired look. When speaking with CBS Mornings, Gunn asserted he doesn't want there to be a "company style" in the DCU, which means that Clayface can embrace all the potential of its genre, and that's a very good thing.
Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane in 1940, Clayface is a Batman villain with shape-shifting abilities from their clay-like bodies. While quite a few of the Caped Crusader's adversaries have used the moniker, their power set has largely remained the same. Notably, the film's official description states that the new incarnation of Clayface will "haunt Gotham City, alternating between villain and ally of Batman," insinuating that this Clayface will take on an anti-hero role in his upcoming film.
What makes this new incarnation of the character so exciting is Gunn's willingness to not only variety in tone between DCU films, but champion his artist's vision. Back in July, Gunn told CBS Mornings that Clayface, which is slated to come out Fall 2026, is "a totally different thing" from Superman and Supergirl for that matter. "Although it's in the same universe, it's a complete horror film." And it's hard to overstate how great that promise is.
That's very different from the hopeful tone of Superman. While some would consider a massive tonal and stylistic departure from the DCU's flagship film a hazard, Gunn believe's imperative for the franchise to work.
"There's not a company style," Gunn explained. "The artists and the directors and the writers that create each [film] will bring their own sense to it ... because we don't want people being bored, we want to invigorate people."
Gunn has certainly put together an "invigorating" team who can deliver on making Clayface a worthy addition to the genre. A horror script co-written by Mike Flanagan is as close as one can get to guaranteeing that Clayface will be a compelling and haunting story. Adding in Speak No Evil director James Watkins and fresh face Tom Rhys Davies as the title character, and it seems Gunn not only understands, but is actively implementing the lessons learned as to what sank the DCEU and has risen to the MCU's "franchise fatigue" after working in both of them.
Furthermore, we've yet to see a "complete horror film" on this scale in the superhero genre. Marvel has dabbled with elements of horror in the Doctor Strange films, the series Moon Knight, along with the special Werefolf by Night, but the commitment to Clayface marks something different. It's a true endorsement of embracing variety and risk in filmmaking rather than repeating what's already worked in order to please shareholders. And that's certainly what the entertainment industry needs presently -- whether it's Superman's unabashed optimism or Clayface's tragic, spine-tingling mantle.
