Clayface Movie Inspired By a Fan-Favorite Batman Animated Series Story

Mike Flanagan sheds some light on his Clayface script and confirms he was inspired by the character’s portrayal on Batman: The Animated Series. In an interview with ComicBook to promote his new film The Life of Chuck (out in select theaters June 6th and nationwide June 13th), the filmmaker discussed his work on the upcoming DC Universe movie, which drew from the two-part episode “Feat of Clay.” While Flanagan is passionate about Clayface and Batman: The Animated Series, he pointed out that the screenplay is going through some revisions. He hopes the foundation he established is still intact when the film hits theaters.

“Of course it was. I mean that is the perfect [story],” Flanagan said when asked about his Batman: The Animated Series inspirations. “‘Feat of Clay,’ Ron Perlman, to me, that’s it. That two-parter knocked me out. The short answer is that is absolutely 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.”

Flanagan then shared his thoughts on Clayface‘s development. “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,” he said. “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.”

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The fourth and fifth episodes of Batman: The Animated Series Season 1, “Feat of Clay” is a two-part story that details the origin of Clayface. His real name is Matt Hagen, a famous actor who was horribly injured in a car crash. Businessman Ronald Daggett offers Matt the experimental substance Renuyu, which allows Matt to physically transform into anyone he desires. Matt develops an addiction to the Renuyu and is forced to become a pawn for Daggett so he can keep getting his fix.

Clayface is planned as the third feature film in the DC Universe franchise, securing a September 2026 release date. The Woman in Black helmsman James Watkins signed on as director back in February. As Flanagan alluded to in our interview, the Clayface script is currently being reworked by Hossein Amini, whose previous credits include The Wings of the Dove, Drive, and Obi-Wan Kenobi. No casting announcements have been made, but the plan is for Clayface to start shooting later this year.

Previous reports detailing the Clayface movie story had parallels to “Feat of Clay,” as the film has been said to follow a B-movie actor who takes the substance that turns him into Clayface in order to stay relevant. Flanagan’s comments shed additional light on what he had in mind. His Clayface script probably wasn’t a direct live-action adaptation of the Batman: The Animated Series episode, but “Feat of Clay” gave him a strong foundation to draw upon. Perhaps Flanagan’s version of Clayface had a role for Daggett (or a similar character), someone who takes advantage of the situation to manipulate Clayface into a tool for their doing.

Batman: The Animated Series is widely hailed as arguably the best Batman adaptation, so hopefully Amini doesn’t completely discard those influences. There’s potential for Clayface to be a unique comic book adaptation, thrilling audiences with an R-rated story that leans heavily into body horror elements. In a lot of ways, it sounds like it could be DC’s take on The Substance, which earned a considerable amount of praise for its exploration of similar topics. Flanagan has proven himself as one of his generation’s best horror filmmakers, and while he isn’t directing Clayface, ideally his voice will still be present in the screenplay. Clayface could be an emotional, tragic story about a man who becomes a monster.