When Superman premiered, officially launching the DC Universe after Creature Commandos began building it, James Gunn spoke with CBS Mornings about the future of the franchise. He discussed not only the Superman movie, but also upcoming projects like the recently released Peacemaker Season 2, and the planned Supergirl and Lanterns series. Gunn also revealed they’re developing a Clayface movie, describing it as a horror film, while still keeping it connected to the broader DC Universe. He emphasized their goal to make each DC project feel unique, something the Marvel Cinematic Universe has sometimes struggled with.
The release of Clayface has been pushed back, but it’s not a major setback – just by a month. More importantly, the new release date of October 23rd suggests the film truly will be the scary, horror experience it’s been advertised as.
The History of Horror in Superhero Movies & How Clayface Is Likely to Stand Out
The upcoming Clayface movie won’t be the first superhero film to include horror elements. Movies like The Crow certainly had a dark and gloomy atmosphere. Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films hinted at horror, and his Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness fully embraced it. The Blade and Ghost Rider trilogies featured supernatural creatures, while Venom and Morbius had some horror aspects, and the Void in Thunderbolts was unsettling. However, none of these films were truly dedicated to the horror genre in the same way as classics like Halloween and The Exorcist.
As a lifelong movie fan, I’ve always felt DC has flirted with horror a bit more than Marvel – things like Wes Craven’s Swamp Thing were definitely spooky, and let’s be real, the Penguin in Batman Returns terrified a whole generation of us! But even with films like Constantine, Clayface feels like the first time DC is really going all-in on a genuinely scary movie experience.
It’s clear this Clayface project is ambitious. The $40 million budget is comparable to many horror films, like the upcoming Scream 7. Plus, it was co-written by Mike Flanagan, a highly respected Stephen King adaptation writer and director, who chose to focus on other projects instead of directing this time. Essentially, Flanagan had a major creative role in shaping the film, alongside director James Watkins.
You probably know director James Watkins from horror movies. He’s mostly worked within the genre, with his only exception being the thriller Bastille Day starring Idris Elba. His previous films are impressive – Eden Lake is a well-regarded horror classic from the 2000s, and The Woman in Black was a strong, though often overlooked, horror film in 2012. He recently directed Speak No Evil, which many consider one of the best horror films of 2024 – a year with a lot of great options. Considering James Gunn also began his career in horror, there’s good reason to think Watkins’ Clayface could be the first superhero movie to genuinely frighten adult audiences.
Just how scary and unsettling will Clayface get in the new iteration? Share your thoughts in the comments and discuss it with other fans in the ComicBook Forum!
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2026-02-10 19:40