Gunn On “Clayface” Timeline, Horror Tone

DC Studios chief James Gunn has offered some new insights on the Clayface movie and its place in the DC Universe canon.

Tom Rhys Harries will play the titular Batman villain in the film which has been co-written by Mike Flanagan and directed by James Watkins and serves as an origin for the character.

The thing is, Clayface has appeared in the DCU before – namely as a sadistic, vulgar assassin in the “Creature Commandos” series. So are they linked?

Gunn confirms on Threads that the new film is set before all other DCU shows and movies so far, including Superman – dubbing it “the first DCU film out of chronological order.”

He was then asked about how connected the movie will be to the other stories that are happening in the DCU, saying: “It’s very connected, but as always the standalone story is what’s most important.”

He indicates the DCU aims to span multiple genres, with each project shaped by its filmmaker’s unique vision with “Clayface” very much a “horror film” and NOT a superhero-horror mashup movie.

The story unravels one man’s horrifying descent from rising Hollywood star to revenge-filled monster and tackles loss of one’s identity and humanity, corrosive love, and the dark underbelly of scientific ambition.

Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella, and Eddie Marsan co-star in the film which opens in cinemas on October 23rd.