James Gunn Defends ‘Clayface’ Against Fan Skeptics

James Gunn has directly answered a DC fan who asked "who tf asked for a Clayface movie" on his Threads account. The DC Studios chief defended the project in two public posts earlier this week, arguing that Hollywood does not owe its slate to audience votes on familiar intellectual property.

"Who tf asked for Back to the Future? Casablanca? There's Something About Mary? Pan's Labyrinth? Fury Road? Weapons? The Matrix?" Gunn fired back on the platform. The user's original comment has since been deleted.

"Although it may seem like it, Hollywood isn't a place where the only way to make a movie is the public voting on what IP they want to see that they've seen countless times before," Gunn wrote.

Why does Gunn back a lesser-known villain?

Clayface is a considerably nicher choice for a feature film than recent DC releases such as "Supergirl" and "Superman." Gunn framed the film as the product of creative passion rather than franchise math.

"Sometimes someone — in this case initially Mike Flanagan and then James Watkins and Hossein Amini — were inspired by a relatively little-known fictional character and crafted what I believe is a very special story around that character," Gunn posted. "I'd take that inspiration a thousand times over some writer trying to make a buck by writing a listless screenplay about a majorly popular character he or she has no passion or feel for."

What do we know about the film?

Despite the character's obscurity, most fans have eagerly awaited the premiere since the gory trailer dropped months ago. Versions of the character have appeared on screen since the comic's 1940 debut, but "Clayface" marks the first time audiences will see the shape-shifting villain in a film of his own.

• Director: James Watkins ("Speak No Evil")
• Star: Tom Rhys Harries as Clayface, also known as Matt Hagen
• Supporting cast: Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella, Eddie Marsan
• Release date: Oct. 23

The film's official description lays out the plot: "Matt Hagen's meteoric rise from Gotham street kid to Hollywood leading man is tragically cut short when a local crime boss's actions leave him horribly disfigured. Abandoned by his team and with nothing left, Matt seeks out a cutting-edge treatment that miraculously returns him to his former self… but also unexpectedly affects his grip on reality, spiraling him down a destructive path of all-consuming revenge."

Gunn's exchange sets a clear marker for his DC regime: originality and filmmakers' conviction will outweigh brand recognition when the studio greenlights its slate. Audiences can judge the results when "Clayface" reaches theaters on Oct. 23.