Fans who tuned into It: Welcome to Derry might have caught a fun Batman-related Easter egg. It: Welcome to Derry, a prequel to the popular It films, features references and tie-ins to other Stephen King novels, and the first episode also includes a few DC Comics issues. The first was the iconic “Flash of Two Worlds” storyline from The Flash #123, published in September 1961. The second comic in question was none other than Detective Comics Vol. 1 #298, which was published in December 1961. With It: Welcome to Derry set in 1962, the comics are accurate to the time period but also carry some broader DC significance.
It: Welcome to Derry was created by Andy Muschietti, who also directed the series’ first episode. Muschietti previously directed It and It Chapter Two, so helming the series is appropriate, as it maintains continuity with his films. Muschietti previously directed The Flash, the DCEU bomb whose multiverse story can trace its roots back to “The Flash of Two Worlds” comic. Muschietti is also set to direct the DCU Batman film, The Brave and the Bold, after having directed two previous Batmen, Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton, in The Flash.
Yet the comic is more than a nod to Muschietti’s DCU films. It is also the debut of the Matt Hagen incarnation of Clayface, which Tom Rhys Harries will portray in the upcoming DCU film. These comics are big hints at the DCU’s future.
‘Clayface’ and ‘The Brave and the Bold’s DCU Future
The day before It: Welcome to Derry premiered, DC Studios co-president James Gunn shared a post on social media celebrating Clayface, saying, “Happy Anniversary to the perennially misunderstood villain, Clayface. Can’t wait for you to see @TomRhysHarries bring him to life on the big screen!” The image Gunn shared was none other than Matt Hagen’s debut in Detective Comics #298, the same one featured in It: Welcome to Derry.
Clayface will be the third DCU film, following Superman and Supergirl. Clayface will be directed by James Watkins (The Woman in Black) from a story idea by Mike Flanagan, who originally wrote the script with Hossein Amini doing rewrites. The movie is set for release on Sept. 11, 2026, occupying the popular post-Labor Day weekend that Warner Bros. has capitalized on for horror films, including both It and It Chapter Two.
A version of Clayface was previously featured in Creature Commandos. At the moment, it is unclear whether the character in Creature Commandos is the same one that will appear in the upcoming DCU film or one of the many versions of Clayface from the comics. Creature Commandos also featured the DCU’s first appearance of Batman, but the character was featured in the shadows.
Andy Muschietti has hinted that more details about his planned Batman movie will be revealed soon, as work on The Brave and the Bold continues. Although rumors suggested Muschietti might step down as director, he has insisted that he remains part of the project. It is clear that, despite some fans’ desires, Matt Reeves’ The Batman and the Robert Pattinson incarnation of the character will not be part of the DCU.
There is no planned release date for The Brave and the Bold, though some rumors have pointed to 2028 to avoid competing with The Batman — Part Two, which is set for an October 2027 release. If Brave and the Bold is released in 2028, it will be the same year as the Robin-centric Dynamic Duo animated film. While the DCU so far has been Kryptonian-centric with Superman and Supergirl, the denizens of the DCU’s Gotham City will soon step into the spotlight with Clayface and The Brave and the Bold. This is in addition to the Deathstroke and Bane-led film, which might now be the Salvation’s Run adaptation, for which DC Studios recently filed a copyright.
It: Welcome to Derry, featuring references to both Andy Muschietti’s DC past with The Flash comic and his own future with the franchise in The Brave and the Bold and the adjacent Clayface film, is an Easter egg with multiple meanings. It certainly won’t be as bad as the Sgt. Rock poster in After the Hunt that hinted at the Luca Guadagnino film that fans almost got. It: Welcome to Derry is streaming on HBO Max.
- Release Date
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October 26, 2025
- Network
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HBO
- Directors
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Andy Muschietti