Batman is "there" but off-screen in upcoming DCU horror film Clayface
DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran has confirmed that Batman is not in the upcoming horror film Clayface, but he is present elsewhere in the DC Universe's Gotham City.
In an interview with Collider, per ScreenRant, Safran said the Dark Knight is "operating somewhere else" during the movie's events. While the character won't appear, Safran emphasized that "he is there. This is the introduction to the live-action Gotham."
He noted that a Batman silhouette was shown in the animated series Creature Commandos, which is set after the events of the Clayface movie. That series also featured a flash-forward showing the hero among dead Justice League members.
Lead actor Tom Rhys Harries, who plays the shapeshifter Matt Hagen, teased to ComicBook that the film may allude to characters being aware of Batman's presence. "We have footage... and I don’t know how much I can say," he stated, suggesting the film could feature in-world archival footage of a silhouette.
The R-rated Clayface is set to open in theaters on October 23, 2026.
