The recent sequel to 1989’sBatmanproves how great Clayface can be as the star of his announcedupcoming DC movie. Clayface is a classic Batman foe from the Golden Age ofDC’s comics. While the character is now known for his shapeshifting abilities, his initial portrayals were more grounded, with the actor Basil Karlo – who lacked superpowers – basing his Clayface persona on a role he played in a film. A later iteration of Clayface – Matt Hagan – would be the first iteration of Clayface to have the character’s iconic shapeshifting abilities, though he lacked Karlo’s acting background.
Following theCrisis on Infinite Earthsstoryline, however, the modern iteration of Basil Karlo would acquire shapeshifting powers like Matt Hagan, making for a fascinating combination – as Karlo became a murderous former actor with the ability to convincingly mimic anybody, thanks to both his powers and background. Clayface has made many appearances in animated productions over the years but has had relatively few live-action iterations, with all being television appearances. WithaClayfacemoviedue to begin filming early in 2025, the classicBatmanvillain will finally make his live-action cinematic debut.
Clayface Is Finally Coming To Live-Action
Arguably,the first live-action version of Clayface was known as False-Face, a 1966Batmanvillain played by Malachi Throne. TheBatman ’66comics retroactively revealed him to be an amalgamation of the comic iteration of False-Face and the modern incarnation of Clayface, with his real name being Basil Karlo. Kirk Baltz plays Cassius Payne (the fifth iteration of Clayface from the comics) and Ian Reed Kesler plays Chris Cassius (an original version) inBirds of Prey, while Lorraine Burroughs plays another original take on Clayface inPennyworth.
Retcons aside, the first live-action version of Basil Karlo was depicted by Brian McManamon in theGothamTV series. It could also be argued that the Matt ReevesBatmanuniverse has its own loose adaptation of Clayface inThe Penguin.Eve Karlo’s name might be an homage to Basil Karlo, and she notably impersonates Francis Cobb in the show’s finale. For the time being,it is unknown which iteration of Clayface will be depicted in the forthcoming movie, and it is also unknown which continuity it will take place in. It will, nevertheless, have the first live-action Clayface on film.
Batman: Resurrection Introduced Clayface To Burton’s DC Universe
Clayface was also recently introduced to one of the Tim BurtonBatmanuniverses in John Jackson Miller’s 2024 novelBatman: Resurrection. Set in the same branching timeline as theBatman ‘89comics,Resurrectionbridges the gap between the original 1989 film andBatman Returnsand includes characters from both films while also introducing new ones. While the true antagonist ofResurrectionis Hugo Strange, the Basil Karlo version of Clayface is also a major villain.Resurrectiondepicts a new version of Clayface’s origin, with Karlo using his abilities to impersonate the deceased Joker and work for Hugo Strange.
Batman: Resurrectionretroactively reveals that the previously-unnamed Axis Chemicals scientist in 1989’sBatmanis Hugo Strange, who would survive the destruction of the chemical plant and assume the alias Hugh Auslander.
InResurrection, Basil Karlo retains his background as an actor, but his transformation into the shapeshifting Clayface is directly linked to exposure to the late Joker’s lethal Smylex poison. As with many iterations of Clayface over the decades,the Burton universe’s Basil Karlo is a tragic villain, who is manipulated into a life of crime by Hugo Strange. Karlo is notably horrified by the death of Tolliver Kingston (whose death was actually orchestrated by Strange but framed as Karlo’s doing) and the prospect of having to kill his own henchmen while impersonating the Joker and leading the Last Laughs gang.
What DC’s Clayface Movie Can Learn From Batman: Resurrection
The forthcomingClayfacemovie can and should look toBatman: Resurrectionfor inspiration when depicting its iteration of Clayface.The Burton iteration of Clayface blends horror and tragedy in his originand subsequent manipulation by Hugo Strange, andResurrectionhumanizes Basil Karlo, making him a well-rounded character in addition to being a credible threat to Batman. With theClayfacemovie likely not includingBatman, the horror elements of the character can be taken even further than usual, as there perhaps would not be a formidable enough opponent to counter Clayface when he uses his fantastic abilities to commit crimes.
