There’s One Perfect Director To Helm The Upcoming DCU Movie

DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn recently confirmed that a DCU Clayface movie is officially slated for release in 2026, from a script written by Mike Flanagan. Although a director has not been chosen to helm the project, there is one director who would be the perfect fit.

Audiences got their first official introduction to the DCU earlier this month with the Max original animated series Creature Commandos. However, the first true introduction to the DCU on the big screen will be James Gunn’s highly-anticipated Superman, which stars David Corenswet as the titular hero, and will hit theaters on July 11, 2025. The following year, the DCU will continue with the release of their next two projects, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and Clayface. Supergirl looks to be a natural expansion of what Superman will introduce audiences to, but Clayface looks to be a horror-influenced project that will likely have a much smaller budget than the two Kryptonian standalone films preceding it.

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A Director With Substance

It’s clear that in order to bring the story of Clayface to life in the most cinematically compelling way possible, the DCU needs a filmmaker who will have a good grasp of horror and character in equal measure. Thankfully, the director behind one of 2024’s best films, The Substance, is the right candidate for this job.

Coralie Fargeat is a French filmmaker whose previous directorial and writing credits include the 2017 film Revenge. However, it is The Substance that has left a significant impact on not just the horror genre, but through all of the great cinema we have seen in 2024. The film, which features a career-best performance from Demi Moore is a brilliant body horror film with provocative, unforgettable imagery that is never gratuitous, but rather intentional in its exploration of its themes in regard to body image, aging, and the bleakness of celebrity culture.

The Substance is a powerful calling card for Coralie Fargeat, who won the Best Screenplay award at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. As a true auteur, she exhibits a true masterclass in modern horror storytelling. Through inventive cinematography, frenetic editing, brilliant performances, and some of the most visceral makeup effects that evoke the work of the great David Cronenberg, Fargeat never lets the spectacle overshadow its core purpose in telling the story of a fading Hollywood celebrity terrified of losing her relevance in the industry.

In the comics, Clayface is a visually arresting character with one of the more unique backstories of any member of Batman’s rogues gallery. Although fans will be getting their first introduction to the character in the DCU through Creature Commandos, it is unknown which iteration of the character Mike Flanagan based his script on. However, if the iteration was based on the original: Basil Karlo, he’d be a B-list actor in a life of crime with his identity based on a character he portrayed in a film.

Given that The Substance is a social commentary on show business, it’s clear that Coralie Fargeat would have no problem tackling a troubled actor as a main protagonist. It’s also worth mentioning that if the same artists behind the impeccable prosthetics and practical effects of the film were brought on to adapt the imagery of Clayface to life, audiences would be in for one of the most visually unique and potentially provocative comic book films of the modern era.

A Win For Both Fargeat And The DCU

According to THR, DC Studios is looking to produce Clayface at a budget of around $40 million, with the goal to be reflective of the diversity of the DCU’s slate. Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance was produced on a budget of $17.5 million and grossed an impressive $77.6 million. While Clayface’s budget would be more than double that of The Substance, the jump isn’t too drastic for Fargeat, and the pressure of stepping into a larger scale, big studio project wouldn’t be as drastic as say, other filmmakers that have made the jump from indie films to franchise blockbusters (think Colin Trevorrow going from Safety Not Guaranteed to Jurassic World) that cost north of $150 million to make.

To make a similar comparison in potential career trajectories, Ryan Coogler made waves with his 2013 film Fruitvale Station and soon followed that up with his 2015 Rocky legacy sequel, Creed. Of course, he would then go on to direct Marvel Studios’ cultural phenomenon Black Panther and its sequel, Wakanda Forever. Having the opportunity to direct such massive blockbusters to critical and commercial success has allowed him the opportunity to direct his own original projects, including his highly-anticipated 2025 film Sinners.

It’s clear now that he’s the creative lead at DC Studios, James Gunn is looking to push the DCU franchise as one of the more exciting elements within our pop culture landscape. The comparisons to Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios are inevitable, but it looks like Gunn is aiming to distinguish DC Studios as a different beast altogether, allowing bold filmmakers like Matt Reeves, Craig Gillespie and Mike Flanagan to leave their marks on such beloved characters. Coralie Fargeat would be a great addition to this growing group of bold artists, and would not only bring goodwill to the DCU, but the film’s potential critical and commercial success could open the door for her own passion projects on a larger scale.

Ultimately, James Gunn and Peter Safran should actively consider recruiting Coralie Fargeat as the director of Clayface. Whether or not she accepts the job to bring Mike Flanagan’s script to life, her inevitable next film will be worth watching – especially after her immaculate work with The Substance. For all the discussions being had about alleged superhero movie fatigue, the truth is that it’s not that people are tired of superheroes per se, but rather they are tired of mediocre comic book movies. In order to combat that sentiment, bold filmmakers must step up and bring these stories to life in the most compelling ways possible. After all, audiences don’t know what they want until you show them.

The Substance

Director

Coralie Fargeat

Cast

Demi Moore
, Margaret Qualley
, Dennis Quaid
, Gore Abrams
, Hugo Diego Garcia
, Olivier Raynal
, Tiffany Hofstetter
, Tom Morton
, Jiselle Burkhalter
, Axel Baille
, Oscar Lesage
, Matthew Géczy
, Philip Schurer