SUMMARY
  • Mike Flanagan’s upcoming Clayface movie might not focus on the villainous nature of the Batman villain.
  • 'The Penguin' achieved success by showing Oz Cobb as a pure evil villain, and Flanagan's different vision might be risky.
  • Flanagan might follow a similar backstory for Clayface as shown in 'Batman: The Animated Series'.

Batman has always shown the heroic aspects of the world of DC, while his villains show the darker side of society. Recently, The Penguin gave a glimpse of the crime world of Oswald “Oz” Cobb, and now Mike Flanagan is bringing another popular Batman villain, Clayface.

Robert Pattinson and Colin Farrell in The Batman
Robert Pattinson and Colin Farrell in The Batman | Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

As they say, a hero is only as good as its villain. If any show or movie wants to glorify their hero, it becomes necessary to show their villain as challenging and evil as possible. However, it looks like Flanagan’s upcoming Clayface movie might have different plans.

The Clayface movie might do the opposite of The Penguin

Colin Farrell in The Penguin
Colin Farrell in The Penguin | Credit: HBO

According to Deadline, Warner Bros. and DC Studios have greenlit a movie based on Batman’s iconic villain Clayface. The movie is written by Mike Flanagan, who is known for his expertise in the field of horror, and is expected to release on September 11, 2026.

Clayface has been a villain of the Dark Knight since its inception. Its origin begins during the 1940s when Basil Karlo, a washed-up actor, becomes a criminal and wears a clay-like mask inspired by one of his acts to commit crimes. His later adaptations in the 1960s gave him shape-shifting abilities.

However, as Deadline reported, the new Clayface movie won’t focus on him as a villain but will probably show him more as a sympathetic character. This idea differs from his usual reputation as an evil villain of Batman. Moreover, it might be a risky move considering the success of The Penguin.

Colin Farrell starrer The Penguin showed Oz Cobb as an evil villain rather than a sympathetic one. In the show, he kills his own brothers to get all the love and attention from his mother, and perhaps the moment that establishes him as a pure, sinful villain is when he kills his personal enforcer Victor at the season finale.

Showing the villain as a purely selfish and immoral being without any external motivations makes him unpredictable and more dangerous, which keeps the viewers on the edge. It was one of the biggest reasons why The Penguin is rated 95% by critics and 92% by the audience on Rotten Tomatoes.

Clayface also holds similar potential as a character. However, Flanagan’s shift in its narrative could work either way. But for now, fans can hope for a good story as James Gunn announced it would take place in the DCU.

How Clayface can be a sympathetic villain

Clayface in Batman: The Animated Series
Clayface in Batman: The Animated Series | Credit: Warner Bros. Animation

Clayface has done some of the worst crimes in DC comics and on-screen adaptations. He has mentally tortured Batman by taking the form of a slightly older Jason Todd after his death, which has been a traumatizing event for the Dark Knight.

He has threatened to mutate all of Gotham, killed his entire film crew, disfigured his own girlfriend, and tried to kill many Justice League characters several times. However, he can be turned into a sympathetic villain if he is shown struggling to change his life.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Mike Flanagan is a big fan of Batman: The Animated Series version of Clayface. In the series, Matt Hagen, who was an aging actor, accidentally falls into a radioactive compound that disfigures him while giving him shape-shifting abilities.

His motivations and actions are mostly related to finding a permanent cure for his condition. If Flanagan follows such a storyline, he can establish Clayface as a sympathetic villain. However, it remains to be seen if he takes inspiration from his favorite Batman: The Animated Series or comes up with a completely new backstory.

The Penguin and Batman: The Animated Series are available to stream on Max.

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