James Gunn Finally Reveals Clayface Crossover Odds in The Batman 2

James Gunn‘s DC Universe has been full of surprises lately, and Clayface is one of the biggest. The body-horror film turned one of Batman’s creepiest villains into the star of his own story, and fans were quick to wonder where he might pop up next.

With Matt Reeves’ The Batman Part II on the way, many have hoped to see Gotham’s shape-shifting menace face off against Robert Pattinson‘s Dark Knight. So, what are the odds of that crossover happening? Sadly, they are practically nil.

Gunn has now made it clear that Clayface is a standalone story and was never meant to set up other projects. On top of that, Reeves’ Batman films exist outside the main DCU under the Elseworlds banner, which makes a team-up even less likely.

Unless DC Studios changes course, fans should not expect to see Clayface in The Batman Part II or any other movie for now.

James Gunn Confirms Clayface Is a Standalone Story

James Gunn’s comments came after a fresh wave of online debate about whether DC Studios had drifted away from its original plan. Some fans argued that recent releases, Clayface included, didn’t seem to connect to any bigger story, and they wondered if the shared universe was falling apart.

Gunn responded on social media, pointing back to what he said when he and Peter Safran first laid out the DCU slate in January 2023. The DCU was always going to have two kinds of projects. Some, like his Superman Saga starring David Corenswet, are pieces of a larger narrative that will build toward bigger events, with Man of Tomorrow likely to be the studio’s first true event film.

Others, like Clayface, are self-contained tales that tell one story and wrap it up, much like his Guardians of the Galaxy movies did at Marvel. He wrote (via @DCFilmNews/X):

You can look at my quotes from January ’23 when we started and I said we were going to do exactly what we’re doing. I said some stories would be standalone like the Guardians movies were (which is what Clayface is) and some stories would have part of a larger narrative structure, which is what the Superman Saga is. All that said, each piece of the larger story should work on its own with or without having to see everything else.

That means Clayface was designed to be enjoyed on its own, without any homework or setups for future films. Written by horror favorite Mike Flanagan, the film was free to lean into its unsettling tone without worrying about a bigger crossover. However, for fans hoping to see the villain again soon, it isn’t the most encouraging news.

James Gunn Explains His Vision for the DCU Roadmap

James Gunn also cleared up another common misunderstanding about the DCU. He explained his famous “8 to 10 year roadmap.” Many fans have treated it like a strict list of story beats, similar to Marvel’s phases. According to Gunn, that was never the full picture.

The roadmap was as much about how DC Studios would operate as it was about what happens on screen. The plan includes making Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman the core of the universe while turning lesser-known heroes into fan favorites.

It also leaves room for filmmakers to experiment with different tones and ratings, which explains why a dark horror film like Clayface fits right in. He wrote:

ALSO, some things get conflated here. The often cited ‘8 to 10 year roadmap’ originally pitched wasn’t only story points (although that was a part of it), but also the plan for DC as a whole, including focusing on diamond characters (Superman, Batman, WW) as well as smaller characters we could turn into diamonds (Krypto, John Stewart, Peacemaker), how we would foster filmmaker freedom & allow for multiple tones & ratings, the influences of Star Wars & George RR Martin, and so much more.

The slate hasn’t moved as smoothly as first planned, though. Nearly four years after the 2023 reveal, only a handful of the original projects have been released, while others have been delayed or quietly shelved.

Still, Gunn insists the bigger picture is intact. With Superman leading the way and the Trinity at its center, the DCU is slowly building toward something larger, even if a major crossover is still years away.

What are your thoughts on Gunn’s latest comments? Let us know in the comments below!