DC Studios boss says Batman villain Clayface is "even more terrifying" than Penguin and Joker

DC’s upcoming Clayface movie could be even scarier than we first thought as DC boss Peter Safran says he thinks the villain is more chilling than some of Batman’s most formidable foes.

"Clayface isn’t widely known as Penguin or Joker, but we think his story is as deeply resonant, thrilling and even more terrifying," said Safran to Deadline. Safran serves as the co-CEO of DC Studios alongside James Gunn.

We already had a feeling that DCU’s upcoming Clayface movie would lean more into the horror genre based on Deadline previously reporting that the movie is rumored to be a "horror-thriller-tragedy" with Clayface himself said to be unlike what we have seen in Batman media. Plus, the film has just landed director James Watkins, best known for helming last year’s horror remake Speak No Evil.

Clayface first appeared as part of Detective Comics #40 in June 1940 as an actor who turned to a life of crime after taking on the personality of one of his horror roles. The villain earned his name due to being made out of a strange clay-like substance, and is said to be inspired by the 1925 movie The Phantom of the Opera. However, over time, multiple DC villains have used the Clayface alias, from a scientist to a woman known as Lady Clay.

As part of DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, the movie will center on some iteration of the villain, but no official synopsis has been revealed at this time. However, Mike Flanagan is penning the screenplay, with Gunn and Safran producing as well as The Batman’s Matt Reeves and Lynn Harris. As for the cast, the casting process has begun.

Clayface is currently targeting a September 11, 2026 release date. For more, see our guide on how to watch DC movies in order, or keep up with upcoming DC movies and shows.