Clayface arrives this week in the wake of Lanterns, the HBO series which became a huge success for the DCU. Clayface’s approach to its source material is similar to how Lanterns presented its story, which might be the way forward in James Gunn‘s DC Universe.
Clayface is part of the DCU, and Gunn has mentioned that this movie won’t be the last we see of the titular villain. However, Clayface will feel more like a stand-alone movie first and foremost. Director James Watkins told GamesRadar+ that he did not have to “worry about any concerns for a greater universe.” He did not receive a mandate to connect everything to the DCU.
Frankly, telling a unique story without worrying about its place in the DCU worked for Lanterns. It might work again for Clayface.
The success of Lanterns and the potential of Clayface could shape the future of James Gunn’s DCU
After Supergirl’s disappointment, the DCU was in a low place. How would Gunn build a shared universe if the DCU’s second movie failed miserably?
Luckily for Gunn, Lanterns got the DCU back on track. The smartest thing Lanterns did was to avoid making a direct adaptation of the Green Lantern Corps. Would that approach have been more faithful to the source material? Sure, but trying to do an HBO show about intergalactic cops solving crimes throughout the galaxy would have been a tall task.
Instead, Lanterns’ creators grounded the show in reality as much as they could. The series played more like a character-driven piece than a superhero show. It was True Detective in the Midwest. Lanterns still had plenty of Easter eggs and DCU references, including Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner. Overall, the show stood on its own, and the high viewership and positive ratings proved the risk worked.
Clayface has been molded in a similar way to Lanterns. Watkins has directed a body horror movie that embraces genre storytelling. Does Clayface have connections to the DCU? Absolutely. It’s set in Gotham and features a character that will one day become Batman‘s adversary. However, those elements are secondary to the main mission—crafting an engaging horror movie.
Watkins and DC brass are saying all the right things about Clayface. The movie won’t feature Batman, so that eliminates any speculation about the Caped Crusader’s involvement. The character’s next appearance is unknown, which actually strengthens the idea that audiences must see the movie now if they want to see Clayface on the big screen.
If all goes according to plan, Clayface will show up down the line in another DCU movie. For now, approaching the source material like a stand-alone movie is the way to go.
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