James Gunn has clarified where Clayface fits in the DCU timeline, making it a rare first for the series. Despite the cinematic universe being only a little over a year old at this point (longer if one counts Gunn’s The Suicide Squad as the first entry), the releases have all followed a distinct pattern of taking place after one another. Creature Commandos is set before Superman, while Peacemaker Season 2 was set after the 2025 film. However, Clayface looks like it will be going back into the past on the DCU timeline.
Following the release of the Clayface trailer, Gunn took to Threads to answer questions about the film. He made it official that it is “the first DCU film out of chronological order,” meaning it takes place before Superman and Supergirl. Gunn then seemingly confirmed that the Clayface shown in Creature Commandos is the same one set to be played by Tom Rhys Harries in the upcoming DCU film, as he liked a comment where a fan guessed it was the same character.
In terms of those ties to the DCU, Gunn said on Threads, “It’s very connected, but as always, the standalone story is what’s most important.” Clayface, being a standalone film with wider connections to the DCU, will most likely factor into how the movie connects to the upcoming DCU Batman film, The Brave and the Bold. The trailer for Clayface, along with the Doctor Phosphorus flashback in Creature Commandos, have offered audiences a first look at the DCU’s version of Gotham City. This is an important element that will need to be carried over into future Batman movies, one that is being introduced to audiences in an R-rated body horror film.
Clayface being the same one in Creature Commandos creates an immediate tie-in with the larger shared universe, while allowing the film to maintain its own unique identity. Unlike the all-ages, family-friendly material of Superman and Supergirl, the prestige-television vibes of Lanterns, or the R-rated action-comedy tone of Peacemaker and Creature Commandos, Clayface is a body-horror film. Gunn made it clear that it is a genre film that just happens to take place in a superhero universe, saying “Clayface is not a ‘hybrid superhero horror film,’ it is a horror film.”
One major question is how far back into the DCU’s past Clayface takes place. Superman established that Clark Kent revealed the persona of Superman to the world three years before the events of the film, so does Clayface take place within that time or even before then? Is this even before Batman begins operating in Gotham City? There is plenty to speculate about, which may be answered when Clayface opens in theaters on Oct. 23, 2026.
- Release Date
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October 23, 2026
- Director
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James Watkins
