James Gunn’s rebooted DC Universe is preparing to take its first deep dive into Gotham City, but not through the Dark Knight fans might expect. Instead of Batman leading the charge, the upcoming R-rated Clayface film will explore the tragic, monstrous evolution of one of Bruce Wayne’s most iconic adversaries — and writer Mike Flanagan has shed new light on how this Gotham will stand apart from the shadowy city seen in Matt Reeves’ The Batman franchise.

Speaking at ScreenRant’s Midnight Mass panel with Kate Siegel at Motor City Comic Con 2025, Flanagan opened up about the creative process behind building a new Gotham for Gunn and Peter Safran’s DCU. The filmmaker, known for Doctor Sleep and The Haunting of Hill House, explained that Reeves’ world did not influence the project — largely because he hadn’t seen it yet when development began.

“No, when we first started talking about Clayface, I hadn’t seen what Matt was up to,” Flanagan said. “So it went all the way back to ‘Feat of Clay,’ that incredible two-parter with Ron Perlman voicing the character, which was so formative for me as a kid.”

Rather than drawing from the grim detective noir of Reeves’ The Batman, Flanagan rooted his vision of Gotham in the stylized, expressionistic world of Batman: The Animated Series. The classic 1990s show has long been celebrated for its blend of art deco aesthetics, noir storytelling, and emotionally complex villains—elements Flanagan clearly sought to honor.

For the filmmaker, the animated series remains the gold standard for Batman mythology. “For me, it all goes back to the animated series. Batman: The Animated Series is art,” he emphasized.

Flanagan also revealed that working on the project was a deeply rewarding but ultimately bittersweet experience. He had initially developed the film with Reeves before transitioning the concept into Gunn’s interconnected DCU. But when the studio decided to fast-track production, Flanagan was unavailable.

“It was one of the great sadnesses of my career,” he admitted. “When it came time to make it, and they wanted to make this movie right away, I wasn’t available.”

Director James Watkins stepped in to helm the project — a rare situation Flanagan described with mixed emotions. Watkins’ involvement coincided with Flanagan’s commitment to his Carrie adaptation, leaving him unable to stay on through production.

“This was the only time this has ever happened to me where I was like, ‘I have to go make Carrie. There’s nothing I can do.’ So I had to kind of do the thing I’ve never had to do before — ‘Well, here you go. Have fun making the movie and tell me how it goes.’”

Tom Rhys Harries, who stars as Matt Hagen, confirmed that filming wrapped on November 1, 2025. Flanagan hasn’t seen any footage yet but expressed eagerness and optimism: “They just wrapped, I’m dying to see it. I can’t wait to see what they did with it.”

The Clayface film holds several historic distinctions for DC Studios. It will be the first R-rated theatrical release in the new DCU and the first major adaptation of Clayface — one of Batman’s earliest and most beloved villains — on the big screen. The story is expected to chart Hagen’s transformation into the tragic shapeshifting monster, leaning heavily into horror elements consistent with Flanagan’s original approach.

Meanwhile, Reeves’ The Batman universe remains separate under DC’s Elseworlds banner, with Robert Pattinson continuing in that role. Gunn’s continuity will eventually introduce its own Bruce Wayne in The Brave and the Bold, currently in script development.

Clayface hits theaters on September 11, 2026, promising a bold, unsettling new vision of Gotham — one carved from horror, tragedy, and the artistic legacy of Batman’s most influential animated era.