DC Studios is moving full steam ahead with Clayface, the upcoming live-action film based on the shape-shifting Batman villain — except, he seemingly won’t be a villain in this one. While Clayface has been one of Batman’s most famous enemies, this story is set to be a “tragedy”, which might make the character into an anti-hero, which is a well-trodden path for villains in movies now, although not necessarily for the better as Sony‘s Spider-Man spin-offs have shown. The movie is set to be released post Labour Day in 2026, which is a major horror window that has proven successful for major films like It, The Nun, and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

With a script from Doctor Sleep director Mike Flanagan in place, and a theatrical release date locked in for September 11, 2026, the studio is now focusing on securing a director. According to sources who spoke to Deadline, DC brass will be hearing pitches next week, with Truth or Dare filmmaker Jeff Wadlow and Speak No Evil director James Watkins among the key candidates in consideration, both of whom are highly capable creatives.

While Flanagan penned the screenplay, he was never expected to direct Clayface due to his commitments to Universal’s dreaded Exorcist reboot, so the search went instead to finding a director who could take charge of Flanagan‘s story. Once a director is officially signed on, then the casting for the film should become official, although the Deadline report did add that sources indicated it may already have begun. However, any casting decisions will ultimately depend on the chosen director’s input. James Gunn and Peter Safran, the co-heads of DC Studios, are producing alongside The Batman director Matt Reeves and Lynn Harris, with Chantal Nong serving as executive producer.

Who Is Clayface?

Clayface was first introduced in Detective Comics #40 in June 1940, and he has had multiple incarnations over the years. The original version was a struggling actor who, after portraying a horror movie character, embraced the persona in real life, using his abilities for crime. However, later versions of the character introduced something of a more “out there” twist where he was made of clay and could shape shift, and over the years, Clayface has become one of the most familiar faces in The Dark Knight’s rogues gallery. Plus, we technically have already met the DCU‘s version of Clayface already, as he had a brief role in Max‘s Creature Commandos (and voiced by Alan Tudyk, who also played Clayface in the animated Harley Quinn series).

via Collider