Here’s a sneak peek from the Liverpool set of Clayface, the upcoming R-rated horror-tinged Batman spinoff in James Gunn’s DC Universe (DCU), featuring unsettling Gothamian imagery and even a possible nod to the Joker.
DC Studios is charting bold new territory with its emerging DC Universe, embracing not just blockbuster grandeur but also genre-specific, director driven projects. First among these is Clayface, an R-rated horror film helmed by James Watkins, with a script co-written by horror maestro Mike Flanagan alongside Hossein Amini per comicbook.
Set photographs from the film’s Liverpool location reveal a striking detail of a piece of graffiti reading “The Jokers”emblazoned on a wall. This seemingly simple tag is loaded with significance. It’s the first canon reference to the Joker in the new DCU timeline, confirming that the Clown Prince of Crime already exists in this universe long before Bruce Wayne’s Batman debut.
Though it could be an Easter egg rather than a major plot point, its inclusion implies a Gotham already steeped in Joker’s chaos, a delicious hint at the broader villain scape Matt Hagen will inhabit.
The leaked images also show a bandaged figure exiting a hospital on a stretcher, presumed to be Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen when he’s newly disfigured and vulnerable. Fans of Batman lore will recognise the familiar arc: Hagen, a celebrated actor, suffers an accident that strips him of his beauty, leading him to dabble in a restorative but dangerous chemical that grants him shapeshifting powers, transforming him into Clayface. Visual indicators, like the hospital setting and bandages, strongly suggest that Clayface’s film roots himself firmly in the classic Batman mythos, especially drawing from the animated series’ portrayal.
The Gotham City depicted in Clayface features police vehicles and design choices starkly different from those seen in Matt Reeves’ The Batman, clearly establishing that the DCU is building its own distinct visual identity and continuity. Moreover, Clayface’s production budget, reportedly around US$45 million, is drastically lower than DC’s tentpole projects like Superman (estimated at $225 million), underlining DC Studios’ strategy to diversify its cinematic portfolio with both high-stakes epics and efficient, genre-specific stories. This cost efficiency sets Clayface up for a healthy profit margin. Its break-even point is expected to be only around US$110 million, making it a low-risk, high-reward experiment for DC Studios.
Clayface is slated to hit theatres on September 11, 2026, and these early glimpses have already ratcheted up the intrigue, whether it’s the chilling horror dimension, the nods to Batman canon, or the promise of a villain’s tragic arc.
