I’m So Excited To Hear That The Newest DC Universe Batman Movie In Inspired By Two Of My Favourite Batman: The Animated Series Episodes

After listening to that the latest DC Universe Batman film is ready to be impressed via two of my favourite episodes of Batman: The Animated Collection, I am much more excited to look the approaching DC film. Whilst the DC Universe timeline will correctly kick off with 2025’s Superman film, 2026 will see the franchise extend extra in earnest, with now not one however two upcoming motion pictures these days showed for this period of time. With the DCU’s Batman film The Courageous and the Daring apparently a way off at the horizon, the truth such a 2026 DCU motion pictures is ready a Batman villain turns out the entire extra notable.

DC has been no stranger to giving Batman’s rogues gallery their very own central on-screen tales, with the Gotham display revolving across the Penguin’s upward thrust to villainy up to it did Jim Gordon and Bruce Wayne’s personal respective tales, and the Joker getting two DC motion pictures between 2018 and 2024, to various luck. Then again, this upcoming DC Universe film seems set to place the highlight on a extra underrated antagonist – and the verdict to attract from a few of my favourite episodes of Batman: The Animated Collection to take action has made this prospect the entire extra promising to me.

I have Already Been Critically Excited For The Subsequent Upcoming Batman Villain Film Since It Used to be Introduced

The announcement {that a} DC Universe film targeted at the Batman villain Clayface have been formally greenlit was once severely thrilling information to me, given Clayface has traditionally been one in every of Batman’s absolute best comedian antagonists, and one in every of his maximum criminally overpassed on the subject of DC’s live-action motion pictures and presentations. As such, giving the ceaselessly unusually emotionally difficult tale of the nature its personal highlight counteracts this on-screen historical past, and we could broader audiences get a possibility to look the original tale possible of the determine in complete pressure.

Higher but, the promise that this Clayface film would lean into the horror territory of being remodeled right into a dwelling, respiring, shapeshifting individual fabricated from clay – as showed via Peter Safran’s feedback at a DC Studios presentation ScreenRant was once in attendance for, through which he described the approaching film as a “frame horror” movie – actually reinforces the theory it could take a look at Clayface as greater than only a moustache-twirling comedian guide villain. Joker proved there is a marketplace for tragic and complicated supervillain foundation tales, and whilst Clayface seems set to be very other, this commonality bodes smartly right here.

That is very true given Clayface can have extra space to head as a long way into the nightmarish prospect of Clayface’s transformation and lack of his human shape due to the movie’s promised R-rating, a lot as 2018’s Joker controlled years previous with the similar ranking. Whilst I don’t believe an R-rating is essentially had to create mature superhero tales, giving a DC horror film as a lot room to respire as imaginable in relation to what it could and cannot do additionally turns out a in particular sensible transfer, and one I am positive will repay in delightfully frightening model.

In any case, the conversations about how Clayface got here to be strongly recommend there may be actual attraction on this upcoming bankruptcy of DC’s film roster. In line with James Gunn in an December 2024 DC Universe interview, there hadn’t been preliminary plans to make a Clayface film, however iconic horror creator and director Mike Flanagan equipped a formidable pitch for the movie that resulted in its inception, with even Gunn expressing marvel in regards to the topic. In line with this installment coming to be apparently on account of the power of its pitch, it kind of feels there may be already a precedent for the Clayface film to surprise and amaze.

The Information One Of The Easiest Tales In Batman: The Animated Collection Is An Inspiration For The Clayface Film Makes It Sound Even Extra Promising

In a June 2024 interview with ComicBook.com to advertise The Lifetime of Chuck, Clayface creator Mike Flanagan additionally delved into his ideas at the DCU film and its screenplay, which he famous was once nonetheless these days present process some revisions. Then again, Flanagan delved into one outstanding inspiration that have been on his thoughts when writing the script, pointing out:

“In fact it was once. I imply this is the easiest [story]… ‘Feat of Clay,’ Ron Perlman, to me, that’s it. That two-parter knocked me out. The quick solution is this is completely what impressed my script. That’s the international I sought after to stay in. Batman: The Animated Collection when I used to be rising up was once my Batman. Up to [Michael] Keaton was once my Batman, The Animated Collection actually was once my Batman.”

As anyone who has beloved Batman: The Animated Collection since formative years – and who has simplest grown to like the collection extra rising up and seeing simply how smartly it holds as much as the checks of time – the theory Clayface shall be drawing from the Animated Collection episode that introduced the villain into the caricature’s international is a severely promising prospect. The 2-part Feat of Clay tale is arguably one in every of Batman: The Animated Collection‘ best first of all, and, via proxy, probably the most most powerful depictions up to now of ways Clayface will also be concurrently sympathetic and but villainous on-screen.

Feat of Clay delves into actor Matt Hagen’s transformation into Clayface – having been deliberately overdosed with the chemical substance he’d been the usage of to change his face after a automobile twist of fate via the group he’d been running for as a way to get extra – and his next breakdown upon figuring out his lifestyles and frame as he knew it’s misplaced perpetually. That is blended in with the attention-grabbing tale of Hagen the usage of the chemical to conceal himself to appear to be Bruce Wayne so that you can body him for some shady offers the group’s chief, Roland Daggett, is in truth at the back of.

All in all, this implies the tale of Feat of Clay supplies motion, intrigue, a hefty dose of horror, and a really attention-grabbing personality arc and villain foundation tale for Clayface all within the span of round 40 mins. Whilst this is not the one time Batman: The Animated Collection controlled to supply a spread of tale delights in a restricted time frame, it unquestionably paints a promising image for Clayface if the film is encouraged via those two episodes – particularly since Feat of Clay’s depiction of the Clayface transformation controlled to be unsettling even while being child-friendly.

The DCU’s Upcoming Clayface Film Turns out Like Precisely What The Franchise Wishes

With such a lot of superhero motion pictures following a normally extensively equivalent method, one thing as bizarre and unique-feeling as a supervillain foundation tale a few Batman villain who turns into mainly fabricated from clay is most likely primed to get a extra certain reception from audiences than ever. In the long run, the narrative turns out customized to really feel fully other to the style’s norm, even though it most likely explores the acquainted international of Gotham, and letting the film be a horror movie and an R-rated installment look like selections that can simplest bolster Clayface’s talent to make itself unique.

Then again, Clayface additionally seems very thrilling even with out evaluating it to its superhero style friends. The place some motion pictures within the superhero style want to depend extra at the reality that there is a pre-established international or franchise that audiences will already be invested in, the core premise of Clayface is person who arguably would attraction to potential audience whether or not it was once part of the DCU or just a horror film with out the backdrop of DC’s film international to construct on. As such, it will smartly turn out to be the most productive of each worlds for the DC Universe upon its unencumber.

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  Created via

  Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson

  First Movie

  Guy of Metal

  First TV Display

  Peacemaker

  Forged

  Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Jason Momoa, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Cara Delevingne, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Zachary Levi, Dwayne Johnson, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Sturdy, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Djimon Hounsou, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett, Rosie Perez, Ella Jay Basco, Ali Wong, Ewan McGregor, Idris Elba, John Cena, Michael Keaton, George Clooney, Xolo Mariduena

  Film(s)

  Guy of Metal, Batman v Superman: Morning time of Justice, Suicide Squad, Surprise Girl, Justice League, Aquaman, Shazam!, Birds of Prey, Surprise Girl 1984, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, The Suicide Squad, Black Adam, Shazam! The Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle, Superman, The Courageous and the Daring

  Personality(s)

  Superman, Batman, Surprise Girl, Aquaman, The Flash, Cyborg, Harley Quinn, The Joker, Shazam, Darkseid, Amanda Waller, Lex Luthor, Doomsday, Deadshot, Deathstroke, Black Canary, Black Adam

  The DC Universe is likely one of the greatest comedian guide franchises and ceaselessly competes with Surprise. DC Comics began as Nationwide Allied Publications, based via Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson in 1935. Since then, the franchise has exploded with hundreds of comedian books, motion pictures, TV presentations, and video video games. 2013 marked the start of the latest iteration of the superheroes, with Zack Snyder introducing Henry Cavill as Superman. After a number of motion pictures with blended evaluations, DC underwent a comfortable reboot beneath the helm of James Gunn and Peter Safran.

  
  

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  Clayface

  
  

  Free up Date

  Sept. 11, 2026
  

  Director

  James Watkins

  
  
  
  

  
  

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