Wondering why Batman won’t appear in DC Studios’ upcoming Clayface movie? The film takes a different path from typical DC stories, with a standalone focus, original characters, and a setting beyond Gotham.
Here’s what the reported plot suggests about Batman’s absence and how the movie fits into the broader DC Universe.
Clayface movie’s reported plot explains why Batman won’t appear
DC Studios’ Clayface will not feature Batman, according to details shared by Nexus Point News and confirmed by studio sources. The standalone horror film focuses entirely on Matt Hagen and original characters, with no appearances from Gotham’s traditional vigilantes or villains.
Hagen, portrayed by Tom Rhys Harries, is an actor originally from Gotham who relocates to Hollywood to escape a troubled past. After a brutal attack leaves him disfigured, Hagen’s acting career collapses, and he eventually transforms into a shapeshifting monster. The film draws inspiration from the Batman: The Animated Series episode “Feat of Clay.” It also merges the backstories of comic book Clayfaces Matt Hagen and Basil Karlo.
The plot follows Hagen’s relationship with Dr. Caitlin Bates, a biotech CEO who uses his condition to advance her company and pursue a cure. Bates, an original character, is engaged to John, a detective who grows suspicious of her deepening connection with Hagen. The film features a crime boss as its antagonist, another original character with no links to existing DC figures.
James Gunn confirmed that Clayface takes place within the DCU but excludes Batman. “It’s a horror movie that, like any cool body horror movie, just happens to be in the DCU,” Gunn said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. He shared that the project began when writer-director Mike Flanagan pitched the idea early in Gunn’s DC journey.
Flanagan originally developed Clayface as part of the Batman Epic Crime Saga, but DC Studios later moved it into the main DCU slate. They greenlit Flanagan’s script in December 2024 and brought in James Watkins to direct. Production is set to begin in September 2025 in the UK.
The film will release on September 11, 2026, as part of Chapter One: Gods and Monsters.
