You may have noticed that DC Comics is producing projects that involve characters that aren’t the Trinity (Wonder Woman, Superman, and Batman). It’s a smart move for two reasons. First, it brings attention to the comic books. Not knowing the hero or villain could force people to read the source material. Second, seeing the same characters all the time will eventually get stale. There are dozens of heroes and villains that can star in a movie or show. All it takes is the right creative team. This is where the newest DC Comics movie comes in. Variety reports that a Clayface film is in the works.
Mike Flanagan is reported to be the writer behind the Clayface movie. Those unfamiliar with his work should go to Netflix. He’s produced and written horror shows like The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass. As for movies, he wrote, directed, and edited Doctor Sleep.
Batman has been fighting some version of Clayface since Detective Comics No. 40. The most popular one has to be Matthew Hagen from Batman: The Animated Series and Basil Karlo in the current DC Comics. The goofier and overly dramatic version of him HBO’s Harley Quinn (voiced by Alan Tudyk) may have helped his popularity. But, don't let that version of the character fool you. He can be terrifying.
During James Tynion IV’s Detective Comics, Clayface’s abilities and personality were explored better than anyone has before. Readers see that he has the potential to challenge the entire Bat Family or protect Gotham City from monsters. More than his abilities was his emotional state. James Tynion made you feel bad for Basil Karlo. All he wanted to do was be an actor and that was taken from him. Matthew Hagen would make people feel the same sympathy in his film.
There’s also the chance that we’ll see the version of Clayface in Detective Comics No. 40 or Batman: Caped Crusader where he was a jealous murderer. That may not be the option that leaves fans with happy thoughts and feelings, but it would fall in line with some of his projects like Fall of the House of Usher where evil, rich, and privileged people get what they may have deserve.
Having Mike Flanagan in charge of a Clayface movie makes his tweet from 2021 even better. As reported again in the previously mentioned Variety article, Flanagan’s tweet said he’s “really keen to do a standalone Clayface movie as a horror/thriller/tragedy.” That means fans will get the most terrifying Clayface we’ve ever seen. Maybe it will lead to his character changing in the pages of DC Comics. He's a great Bat Family antagonist and partner, but there's always room for improvement.
Stay tuned to Caped Crusades for more updates on the Clayface movie as the news comes out.
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