The Batman’s infamous villain, Clayface, is finally getting the attention he’s always craved. According to Deadline, Clayface will play a significant role in Matt Reeves’ The Batman 2.
It was revealed that Mike Flanagan, the creator of The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass, pitched a Clayface-focused movie to DC Studios. There has been no confirmation of DC Studios accepting or rejecting Flanagan’s proposal. Although typically known as a DC supervillain, in Flanagan’s movie, Clayface would reportedly not play the role of a bad guy.
Deadline’s piece also mentioned that Clayface’s appearance in The Batman 2 will be a substantial addition to Matt Reeves’ project. This suggests that DC may hold off on creating a standalone Clayface movie to avoid confusion among audiences. However, given that DC is introducing a new Batman, it remains unclear whether audiences will be concerned or confused.
Regardless, Clayface’s appearance in a live-action Batman movie is a significant moment. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #40 in 1940 and is typically portrayed as Basil Karlo, an actor who desires to be a big star. Initially, he only wore a clay mask from a horror movie he starred in. However, later versions turned Basil into a tragic figure who could temporarily shape-shift but could never hold onto his visage permanently, transforming him into a mud monster.
Clayface has appeared in various Batman adaptations, such as Batman: The Animated Series, Gotham, and Pennyworth. The character is currently voiced by Alan Tudyk in the HBO Max series Harley Quinn, portraying a comical version of the villain.
It is unclear how director Matt Reeves will interpret Clayface in The Batman 2. A character who is humbled by tragedy after being vain feels like something Reeves could transform into a beautiful yet tragic story, suiting his dark and grounded Gotham City vision.
However, a monster-like version of Clayface could be daring enough to share the screen with Barry Keoghan’s Joker, who is anticipated to be the main villain. There’s also the matter of Colin Farrell’s Penguin, whose HBO Max series will lead directly into The Batman 2, as well as rumors of Mr. Freeze joining the fray.
