DC Studios has finally brought Clayface to the big screen in live action, but the character has had several different identities in the Batman comics, so why did director James Watkins and writer Mike Flanagan choose Matt Hagen instead of Basil Karlo, the original Clayface? Clayface has been used as an identity by several villains in DC Comics, with Basil Karlo being the first character to take on the name. But the film follows Matt Hagen, a successful actor whose life falls apart after a brutal attack leaves him disfigured. Speaking to Variety, Watkins explained that the decision was already made when he came on board, with Mike Flanagan’s script establishing Hagen as the central character. He said, “It was really landed by Mike Flanagan and the script. I read all of them, Basil Karlo and all, afterward because there are bits and bobs that are kind of cherry-picked from all over the place. But the key journey, and that’s what Mike had chosen, was the Matt Hagen version.” Watkins also explained, “If you’d have gone with Basil Karlo, it’s a little bit too gothic or too hard to do in such a modern idiom. The Matt Hagen is a more relatable version.” Another important part of the decision was the world surrounding Matt Hagen. Clayface introduces Gotham City to the rebooted DC Universe in live action. But Watkins did not want the city to feel tied to one specific period. “We wanted it to be slightly timeless, but it can play as contemporary,” he said. The idea was to create a darker, more oppressive Gotham that suited the film’s body-horror story. Rather than relying on a traditional superhero setup, the film uses its setting to reflect the disturbing changes Matt experiences. Clayface was always meant to stand on its own Credit: Warner Bros. Watkins also made it clear that he was not trying to use the film simply to set up Batman’s next adventure. When asked whether he planned to include more Easter eggs or references to Batman, the director explained that he preferred to focus on the story in front of him. “I actually think there are lots of Easter eggs that I probably don’t even know about because the graphics department was always throwing in posters and stuff,” he said. He continued, “What I really responded to was the fact that it was a standalone story. And so for me to read that and then to try and get too cute or crowbar something in that wasn’t merited to the narrative felt gimmicky, I suppose. There was zero pressure to do it.” As for whether Matt Hagen could eventually face Robert Pattinson’s Batman or another DC hero, Watkins said, “I liked the standalone nature of it. I liked how it felt like it introduced a character. But I wasn’t trying to introduce the character to go, ‘OK, what next?’ I was trying to introduce the character as a full meal in itself.” For all the latest film and TV updates and hot takes, like our Facebook page. Post navigation Next story
