Clayface is getting his own movie — and it’s not the one you’re thinking of. The DCU’s upcoming horror film, set for release just in time for Halloween, isn’t about the shapeshifting supervillain fans know from animated series or Gotham. It’s digging into the original, far creepier version: a maniacal actor who kills in costume, driven by ego, not powers. And yes, that means the star of the film might be someone who’s never been seen on screen before. But here’s what we do know: this isn’t a reboot. It’s a resurrection. Of a character who once wore a mask to play a role, and then refused to take it off. The first Clayface, Basil Karlo, debuted in Detective Comics #40 in 1940. No superpowers. No clay body. Just rage, a theatrical flair, and a script he couldn’t let go of. He wasn’t a monster. He was a performer who lost himself in the part. That’s the story JoBlo.com says the new film will lean into. A psychological horror with roots in classic Hollywood terror, inspired by Lon Chaney’s Phantom of the Opera and the real-life mythos of Boris Karloff. The twist? This version of Clayface won’t have the ability to stretch or morph. Not at first. His weapon is identity. His crime? Reclaiming a role that was stolen. The film reportedly draws from multiple iterations, including Matt Hagen’s radioactive protoplasm origin. But the core remains the same: a man whose performance becomes his reality. And that’s where the horror lies. Because if you’ve ever watched a villain on screen and thought, I’d believe that, then this movie is already inside your head. James Gunn’s DCU has been building its tone with a mix of myth and madness. This isn’t just another Batman villain origin. It’s a prequel to a world still being shaped. And if the source material is any guide, the real threat isn’t the clay. It’s the actor who believes he’s the character.