Clayface director James Watkins has revealed why the new DC Studios release chose Matt Hagen rather than original Batman villain Basil Karlo as its lead.
The theatrical film has arrived in cinemas to a positive reception from both film critics and moviegoers. The welcoming response shows that moving away from the villain's most famous comic book identity did not undermine the narrative development of the production, even though the choice initially caught comic fans by surprise.
Box office receipts continue to climb as the film approaches its financial break-even mark. The steady theatrical run provides an encouraging boost for DC Studios following the recent box office failure of Supergirl on the big screen.
Creative rationale behind Matt Hagen
Watkins explained in an interview that he made a deliberate decision to establish an independent identity for Clayface within the broader cinematic universe that DC Studios plans to build. While several distinct characters have carried the mantle across DC history, Watkins and screenwriter Mike Flanagan spent significant time analyzing the comic archives before concluding that Hagen was the best choice for the film.
According to the British filmmaker, Karlo possessed specific narrative characteristics that simply did not fit the story he wanted to tell. Karlo was conceived with a more traditional profile suited to classic cinema, which Watkins believed would have been far more difficult to integrate convincingly into a modern setting.
In contrast, Watkins viewed Hagen as a significantly more versatile character whose personal circumstances adapted naturally to an immediate cinematic context. That narrative flexibility allowed the creative team to ground the comic book premise without being constrained by the period melodrama that defined Karlo's earliest appearances.
Comic book origins of the Batman villain
Basil Karlo has remained the earliest and most famous incarnation of Clayface since his debut in Detective Comics issue 40 in 1940. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, Karlo was introduced as a disgruntled B-movie actor who was driven to madness after learning that a horror film he had starred in was being remade without him.
In that original Golden Age storyline, Karlo possessed no superpowers or shapeshifting flesh. Instead, he disguised himself in the grotesque mask of the film's monstrous villain and went on a serial murder spree against the cast and crew, killing them in the exact order of their scripted deaths before Batman intervened.
DC Comics introduced Matt Hagen two decades later in Detective Comics issue 298, published in 1961. Created by Finger and artist Sheldon Moldoff, Hagen was introduced as a deep-sea diver and treasure hunter who discovered a pool of strange, radioactive protoplasm inside an ocean cave.
Immersing himself in the chemical liquid transformed Hagen into a living mud creature with the ability to reshape his body into any weapon, physical object, or human likeness. Unlike Karlo's theatrical disguise, Hagen's powers introduced the biological and monstrous shapeshifting abilities that became the visual hallmark of the villain.
Influence of Batman The Animated Series
Watkins emphasized that the new film does not simply adapt one specific comic issue. Instead, the production combines distinct elements from several eras of the character, drawing heavy creative inspiration from Batman: The Animated Series.
The landmark animated television show, developed during the 1990s by Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski, famously unified both comic book figures in its acclaimed two-part episode titled Feat of Clay. That storyline blended Karlo's background as an insecure Hollywood actor with Hagen's tragic chemical transformation, creating what many fans consider the definitive version of the villain.
Watkins credited Flanagan for weaving these disparate comic elements into a cohesive screenplay, explaining that the film came together cleanly because of Flanagan's writing. Watkins noted that their portrayal of Gotham City is not completely contemporary, borrowing visual and narrative tropes from multiple cinematic genres.
The director added that the filmmakers sought to create a Gotham City that felt timeless, allowing the environment to carry a classic atmosphere while still functioning as an active, believable modern metropolis. This stylistic choice enabled the team to balance fantastical comic book concepts with visceral, immediate storytelling.
Body horror elements and DC Studios strategy
The production stands apart as one of the most unusual projects released under the DC Studios banner, driven primarily by its overt body horror component. By prioritizing physical transformation and anatomical degeneration over conventional superhero spectacle, the film steps outside the standard formulas of the comic book genre.
Watkins previously demonstrated his command of suspense and visceral dread in British genre cinema, directing the acclaimed survival thriller Eden Lake, the gothic ghost story The Woman in Black, and the psychological horror remake Speak No Evil. His thriller background helped anchor the biological mutation of Clayface in unsettling realism.
Flanagan has similarly established a reputation as one of the leading voices in contemporary horror cinema and television. His work on acclaimed Stephen King adaptations such as Doctor Sleep and Gerald's Game, alongside television series including The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass, has consistently explored the emotional horror of physical decay and personal tragedy.
The critical and commercial stability of Clayface marks an important moment for DC Studios as co-chairmen James Gunn and Peter Safran restructure the cinematic universe. Following the box office disappointment of Supergirl, the studio needed a project that could attract audiences while demonstrating creative versatility.
With theatrical ticket sales continuing to mount toward overall profitability, the success of the film indicates that smaller, horror-driven character studies can thrive alongside traditional superhero blockbusters. As DC Studios maps out future theatrical releases, the positive reception proves that unconventional creative bets can deliver both critical acclaim and box office recovery.
