Though we don't have any word on an actor DC Studios might be considering to play the lead role of Basil Karlo in Clayface, a new rumor is claiming that casting is currently underway for a female character named "Caitlin Bates."
There is no one by this name in the comics, and scooper Daniel Richtman speculates that it might actually be Caitlin Snow, aka Killer Frost. Though they are both villains, Frost and Clayface have faced off a number of times in the comics, and also joined forces on occasion.
This is just one theory, of course. A gender-swapped Hannibal Bates, aka Everyman, is also a possibility since the villain is a fellow shape-shifter. Or, Caitlin Bates might simply turn out to be... Caitlin Bates!
Speak No Evil director James Watkins was recently confirmed to take the helm of the project, which is believed to be budgeted at $40 million. The movie has been described as "a Hollywood horror tale centering on a B-movie actor who injects himself with a substance to keep himself relevant, only to find out that he can reshape his face and form, becoming a walking piece of clay."
Gunn will produce alongside Peter Safran and The Batman director Matt Reeves, with Lynn Harris and Chantal Nong serving as executive producers.
Mike Flanagan penned the script, but was reportedly unavailable to direct due to his commitments to a Carrie TV series and the new Exorcist movie. The project has been given an official release date of September 11, 2026.
Based on previous comments from Gunn, the movie will be set in the DCU, as opposed to Reeves' "BatVerse."
"Exciting news out of [DC] Studios today as [Clayface], a DCU story from a script by Mike Flanagan, has been OFFICIALLY greenlit. Clayface premieres in 2026."
Safran shared a few new details on the Flanagan script, noting that Clayface is indeed going to be a full-on horror movie in the same vein as David Cronenberg's The Fly, and more recently, we learned that the movie will also take more than a little inspiration from Coralie Fargeat's body horror hit, The Substance.
"Clayface, you see, is a Hollywood horror story, according to our sources, using the most popular incarnation of the villain – a B-movie actor who injects himself with a substance to keep himself relevant only to find out that he can reshape his face and form, becoming a walking piece of clay.".
Clayface is looking to shoot in a variety of locales, including Vancouver, Toronto, and New Jersey or Atlanta.
What do you make of this rumor? Do you have any interest in a solo Clayface DCU film? Drop us a comment down below.