Did anybody anticipate that Clayface would talked about a lot as we wound down 2024 and entered 2025. I actually didn’t, but right here we’re due to the announcement final month that Mike Flanagan is writing a Clayface film that might be set within the DC Universe. Granted, we knew beforehand that Creature Commandos would introduce the Batman villain into this shared universe, and that look has now left me much more intrigued about what’s in retailer for him in his upcoming DC film.
Clayface doesn’t come out till fall 2026, so now we have a protracted solution to go till we study issues like how he’ll look in “reside motion” and the way particularly the character “received’t be painted as a villain,” as has been reported. Within the meantime, these of you who take pleasure in this shapeshifting villain could be clever to learn the recently-released ebook Batman: Resurrection, because it delivers an incredible model of Clayface that jogs my memory of one other current adaptation of the character.
Truthful warning, there might be minor SPOILERS for Batman: Resurrection forward, however relaxation assured, no main plot beats or twists might be mentioned.
How Batman: Resurrection Makes use of Clayface
Written by John Jackson Miller, Batman: Resurrection is about between Batman and Batman Returns, i.e. the 2 Caped Crusader-centric motion pictures that Tim Burton helmed in 1989 and 1992, respectively. Although the ebook primarily takes place up a number of months after The Joker’s reign of terror throughout Gotham Metropolis got here to an finish, Resurrection’s prologue truly introduces us to its Clayface, born Karlo Babić, because the occasions of the primary film are happening. Extra particularly, it’s after Joker has tainted numerous merchandise in Gotham Metropolis with Smylex, however earlier than he throws the large parade to gasoline as many voters with the poison as attainable.
Karlo begins out as a hapless actor who’s been attempting to carry out on stage for years, however has solely been capable of contribute to his theater troupe in behind-the-scenes methods, and he’s continuously appeared down upon. One night time, it seems like he’s lastly caught his massive break when he’s tapped as a last-minute alternative to play Caliban in a manufacturing of The Tempest. He decides that his stage identify might be Basil Karlo, i.e. the primary character to go by Clayface within the comics.
Sadly, Karlo by no means will get his probability to shine earlier than an viewers as a result of the lead actor coerces him into testing the make-up that Karlo acquired for him on the road. The shady guys who bought Karlo the product claimed they’d gotten the product had come from out of city, so it wouldn’t be tainted with Smylex, however that ended up not being the case. Nevertheless, moderately than struggling a laughing match and dying with a smile on his face, Karlo as a substitute falls right into a coma and languishes that means for a handful of months. Upon awakening, he’s horrified to study that his face has turn out to be a malleable mess, and whereas fleeing the hospital the place he’d been saved, he attracts the eye of Michael Keaton’s Batman.
Nevertheless, moderately than being doomed to spend the remainder of his life residing within the shadows, Karlo learns that due to his publicity to this particular variant Smylex, he can reshape his face to seem like anybody he sees, in addition to mimic their voice completely. Mixed along with his personal appearing talents, this makes Karlo the right grasp in disguise, however he understandably desires to return to his outdated self. He ultimately comes into contact with Dr. Hugh Auslander, who’s working Gotham Normal’s Smylex Ward and claims he can heal Karlo if he has the right assets, ensuing within the two agreeing to work collectively.
Why Batman: Resurrection’s Clayface Is So Nice
Oftentimes when Clayface is customized for movie and TV, he’s proven in his pure kind as this hulking monstrosity who, along with having the ability to disguise himself as anybody, may also remodel his physique into numerous sorts of weapons, regenerate when the assorted “clay” components of himself are separated, and is superhumanly robust. That’s not the Clayface Batman: Resurrection give readers. Though there are moments within the novel when Basil Karlo demonstrates barely enhanced energy, the shapeshifting is his essential capability and he’s nonetheless human-sized, although sadly disfigured when not disguised as another person. Right here’s an visible illustration of Resurrection’s Clayface that arises Joe Quinones got here up with:
n this sense, not solely is the Burtonverse’s Clayface harkening again to the earliest depictions of Basil Karlo within the comics (albiet with precise powers), however he’s additionally fairly much like the Clayface we received final yr in Batman: Caped Crusader, which may be streamed with a Prime Video subscription. However this Clayface will get additional factors in my ebook for being extra of a tragic determine, as Caped Crusader’s Basil Karlo was fell into the simple villain mould who began killing the co-stars from the film he was in after his advances in the direction of the lead actress have been rejected. Resurrection’s Karlo, nonetheless, was only a man who was within the improper place on the improper time, and is paying homage to the traditional Common film monsters performed by actors like Basil Karloff or Lon Chaney. The truth is John Jackson Miller admitted on Instagram he was influenced by them when he was considering of the character in his head.
In that sense, I may envision see a Clayface film following this model of the character the place he’s depicted as a extra human character. That’s to not say I believe the DC Universe’s Clayface film might be dangerous in any means, and I’m actually wanting ahead to seeing how he’s portrayed extra sympathetically after the violent rampage he went on in Creature Commandos. However I like the thought of watching a extra old style, pulp-y take of Clayface who’s dealing with the unlucky hand life dealt him in a cinematic story that’s just like the aforementioned monster motion pictures from the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Clayface opens in theaters on September 11, 2026, however you possibly can take a look at the villain’s Creature Commandos look now together with your Max subscription. Batman: Resurrection may be buy wherever books are bought, and a sequel titled Batman: Revolution might be launched this fall.