CLAYFACE's Mike Flanagan Reveals Fan Favorite Source Of Inspiration

CLAYFACE's Mike Flanagan Reveals Fan Favorite Source Of Inspiration

Fans of Batman's animated past will be pleased when reading about Mike Flanagan's inspiration for the script he wrote about the villain Clayface.

By ChandlerMcniel - May 31, 2025 04:05 PM EST
Filed Under: Clayface
Source: ComicBook

Back in December of 2024, Clayface, a movie about the Batman villain of the same name with a script written by Mike Flanagan was announced and streamlined. It was given a release date of September 11, 2026. 

Many fans found this news to be surprising. At the time, rumors were circulating that Clayface would be the villain, or a villain, of The Batman Part II, causing very few to suspect a Clayface movie was in the works. On top of that, there wasn’t and still isn’t an actor announced to portray Batman. Batman’s DCU movie The Brave and the Bold directed by The Flash’s Andy Muschietti also did not have a release date. The announcement of Clayface took nearly everyone by surprise because, frankly, it’s an odd but welcome choice. 

Now, Mike Flanagan has spoken to ComicBook.com about his inspiration for the film, and fans are going to absolutely love it. When asked if the universally loved Batman: The Animated Series was a source of inspiration, particularly the two part episode featuring Clayface called ‘Feat of Clay’, Flanagan had the following to say:

“Of course it was. I mean that is the perfect [story]. ‘Feat of Clay,’ Ron Perlman, to me, that’s it. That two-parter knocked me out. The short answer is that is absolutely that is what inspired my script. That is the world I wanted to live in. Batman: The Animated Series when I was growing up was my Batman. As much as [Michael] Keaton was my Batman, The Animated Series really was my Batman.”

As far as the development of Clayface goes, Flanagan had less information to share, but still made the following comments:

“I don’t know what they’re doing with Clayface. I’m not directing it, and that filmmaker will need to make it their own. I know that they’re doing work on the script. I’m off doing other things now, I really hope it remains true to the spirit of what I wanted it to be. But it’s not my movie, so I’ll be in the audience with you, anxious to see how it comes out.”

Other writers have their hands in Flanagan’s script, as he expressed the hope that the end product isn’t too different from his original draft. Hossein Amini who worked on Obi-Wan and Drive is reworking at least some of the script. At the time of writing, there have been no official casting announcements for the movie which is expected to start filming in October of this year. Quite a few DCU movies have been plagued by delays and, if Clayface isn’t going to be one of them, casting announcements should start rolling in fairly soon. 

In the episode of Batman: The Animated Series titled ‘Feat of Clay’, there is a large focus on Clayface’s backstory. It shows the character before he became a monster as a failed actor, the transformation, and the effects it has on him. Naturally, there is a confrontation with Batman, but it’s unknown whether Batman will appear in the movie. 

Are you excited for Clayface? Let us know in the comments!

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McMurdo
McMurdo - 5/31/2025, 4:12 PM
Thanks for the update, Daniel.
Superheroking
Superheroking - 5/31/2025, 4:12 PM
Doesn’t matter. This is not going to be made anyway.
Usernametaken
Usernametaken - 5/31/2025, 4:18 PM
@Superheroking - what a useless thing to say...
ClintthaManster
ClintthaManster - 5/31/2025, 4:19 PM
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bobevanz
bobevanz - 5/31/2025, 4:32 PM
I'm glad they're going this route instead of the actual origin. My bias is showing but Feat of Clay is easily my favorite episode/s of BTAS
MrRossBot
MrRossBot - 5/31/2025, 11:17 PM
@bobevanz - Same! That two parter along with the Two-Face two parter as well.
NinnesMBC
NinnesMBC - 5/31/2025, 4:40 PM
We all figured that was the inspiration from the get-go, it was unanimously unspoken since it was announced. We all cound infer it.

Doesn't mean it should be a page-by-page adaptation though.
KingZero
KingZero - 5/31/2025, 4:55 PM
That's a great baseline. The follow up episode where he's trying to maintain himself is great too, in that it's more his story than Batman who feels almost like the antagonist in the episode (I rewatched it recently and Batman still pissed me off in that episode- the Clayface episodes are of several that still hold up so well). That, coupled with the body horror and psychological elements that were on display in One Bad Day (though hopefully not the plot) could be such a great movie. I wouldn't even care if Batman didn't show up, Clayface has enough to potential to stand on its own. Obviously it'd be great to see him up against Batman down the line.
NinnesMBC
NinnesMBC - 5/31/2025, 4:59 PM
Off-topic: Gunn shared a few days ago a special Krypto statue from Superman that was delivered to his office.

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@JoshWilding @MarkCassidy
DocSpock
DocSpock - 5/31/2025, 5:14 PM

Blah blah blah.....

Engineer, Metamorpho, Clayface, Hawkgirl, Supergirl, Peacmaker, Rick Flag Sr, Mr. Terrific, Penguin.

But no Furking Batman.

Idiots.
OrgasmicPotatoe
OrgasmicPotatoe - 5/31/2025, 6:23 PM
@DocSpock - Last time we had Batman and Superman in a movie, it was an excellent argument in favor of keeping them the hell away from eachother.

Anyway, they got the Brave and the Bold coming up
DocSpock
DocSpock - 5/31/2025, 6:29 PM
@OrgasmicPotatoe -

I agree with your point.

But I'll believe B&B when I see it. And it still has MooseSh!tty attached to direct it. Ugh!

OrgasmicPotatoe
OrgasmicPotatoe - 5/31/2025, 6:55 PM
@DocSpock - Oh yeah, it's not looking good at all. Just saying, at least they got something in the pipeline.

There's also Reeves' Batman. Plenty of Batman going around.

But none that tops the Nolan movies.
DocSpock
DocSpock - 5/31/2025, 9:25 PM
@OrgasmicPotatoe -

The Dark Knight is one the best movies ever made.

They say we have B&B and Reeves Batman. They say. No evidence.
OrgasmicPotatoe
OrgasmicPotatoe - 5/31/2025, 10:30 PM
@DocSpock - I have a Matt Reeves directed The Batman Blu-ray that says otherwise
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DocSpock
DocSpock - 5/31/2025, 10:54 PM
@OrgasmicPotatoe -

Dude. That is YEARS ago. I meant we are not close to anything Batman in the future.
grif
grif - 5/31/2025, 5:52 PM
dont [frick] with me man.


watch it not be anything like it

Nolanite
Nolanite - 5/31/2025, 6:07 PM
Thanks for the update Joshua Wilder you imbecile.

Do you get off knowing that we give you all of the clicks?

Do you and Chandler go behind closed doors and please each other?

Nolanite out
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 5/31/2025, 6:09 PM
That is the PEAK Clayface story imo so it makes sense to use it as the basis for this film…

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Hope Watkins & Amini don’t change the gist of it too much.
RolandD
RolandD - 5/31/2025, 6:53 PM
I hope that one of the things that Mike Flanagan is doing now is Work on The Dark Tower series.
TheJok3r
TheJok3r - 6/1/2025, 12:33 AM
First Gunn said that Superman was inspired in part by the animated series and now this as well. You can't go wrong by looking at what Bruce Timm and his team did back then while planning out your shared universes.

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