The DCU‘s upcoming villain-led movie Clayface may repeat the same trick that made Todd Phillips’ Joker a massive hit. Written by The Haunting of Hill House scribe Mike Flanagan and Speak No Evil director James Watkins, Clayface is the third movie in the DCU’s “Gods and Monsters” chapter, set to release after James Gunn’s Superman and Craig Gillespie’s Supergirl. Clayface is nowhere near Superman and Supergirl’s popularity level, which suggests that James Gunn, Mike Flanagan, and James Watkins have an extraordinary take on the Batman villain in their hands.
On June 17, 2025, Clayface found its lead star in White Lines and Britannia actor Tom Rhys Harries. Harries’ casting in Clayface is a surprising announcement, as Clayface is moving forward in production more swiftly than expected and Tom Rhys Harries isn’t widely known. Clayface hasn’t appeared in any live-action DC movie yet, and the character’s appearance and abilities probably require a great deal of visual effects. Naturally, anticipation for Clayface is rising, and DC Studios promises to deliver a unique movie.
Clayface Is Gearing Up To Be The DCU’s Answer To Todd Phillips’ Joker
Todd Phillips’ Joker remains the most director-driven comic book adaptation in DC history. It stood apart from every DC franchise and continuity, and it presented a grounded portrait of the Joker as a tragic figure shaped by societal failure. Todd Phillips’ artistic vision drove the entirety of Joker and made significant changes to the character, including the Joker’s defined identity and the replacement of his chaotic evil with a complex web of trauma and inner struggles. Joker‘s self-contained nature resonated with all kinds of audiences, who took the movie past the $1 billion mark on a $55 million budget.
Joker‘s Arthur Fleck abandons his dreams of being a comedian and becomes a violent revolutionary, and Clayface‘s Matt Hagen (or potentially Basil Karlo) may find himself forced to abandon his dreams of being an actor when his body is turned into a mass of clay-like material
While the DCU’s upcoming Clayface film will exist within a larger, interconnected universe, the project appears to be similarly vision-driven. Writer Mike Flanagan revealed that he was inspired by “Feat of Clay” — Batman: The Animated Series‘ more intimate and tragic take on Clayface’s origin story. Though operating within a shared universe, Clayface may channel the same introspective energy that made Joker so compelling, with psychological depth taking center stage again.
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Aside from being character explorations first and foremost, Clayface might resemble Joker because of the close similarities between Matt Hagen and Arthur Fleck. Both Arthur Fleck and Matt Hagen wish to become successful entertainers, but their dreams are cut short when tragedy strikes and they become monsters to the world, which leads them to embrace their darkest impulses. Joker‘s Arthur Fleck abandons his dreams of being a comedian and becomes a violent revolutionary, and Clayface‘s Matt Hagen (or potentially Basil Karlo) may find himself forced to abandon his dreams of being an actor when his body is turned into a mass of clay-like material.
Clayface May Be The Perfect Mix Of Joker’s Standalone Appeal And DCU Extravaganza
Clayface Might Update The Joker Formula For The DCU
Clayface could follow the same pattern as Joker and focus exclusively on its titular character, with its full attention devoted to the titular character’s psyche and his conflict with the world around him. But while Clayface may be a mix of drama and body horror, it will also take place in the same continuity as the DCU’s countless other characters. Joker could have delivered the same self-contained story and take place in a universe where Batman, the Batfamily, and Batman’s rogue gallery exist in the background, but Todd Phillips consciously chose to avoid other DC characters.
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Although Clayface could be the closest movie to a Joker sequel besides the poorly-received Joker: Folie à Deux, Clayface’s shapeshifting abilities provide the character with an additional layer of sci-fi. Mike Flanagan and James Watkins’ Clayface will likely introduce an actual metahuman with superstrength, enhanced endurance, and the ability to increase his mass, clone himself, and transform his body into anyone or anything. Still, the movie’s dive into the titular character’s mind could be quite similar to Joker‘s.
Clayface May Be The Perfect Starting Point For The DCU’s Villains
The DCU’s Villain Characters Could Follow A Similar Formula To Joker & Clayface
If Clayface follows in the footsteps of Joker in the DCU and lands well with critics and audiences, it could establish a reliable footprint for the DCU’s next villain adaptations. Characters like Mister Freeze, Two-Face, and Sinestro are villains who have only played antagonistic roles in previous DC movies, and villains like Solomon Grundy, Bizarro, and the Ventriloquist have the potential to lead their own solo projects. Clayface‘s success could help greenlight DCU movies and shows more akin to Joker and The Penguin than Joker: Folie à Deux and Black Adam.
