One refined background element from the Clayface set raises questions in regards to the DCU‘s Joker. Because the DCU expands following Creature Commandos, Superman, and Peacemaker season 2, James Gunn’s franchise progressively approaches the debut of iconic DC figures like Batman, Robin, and the Joker. Since Batman made two cameos in Creature Commandos, the wait to see him seem in live-action could also be shorter than it might have appeared at first.
Clayface, who additionally made his DCU debut in Creature Commandos, is ready to be the primary Gotham character to star in his personal solo DCU mission. James Watknis’ Clayface movie guarantees to take an analogous character-first method as Todd Phillips’ Joker and Lauren LeFranc’s The Penguin, with a severe tackle Clayface’s tragic origins. Nonetheless, a number of easter eggs and references to the broader DCU are to be anticipated.
The Newest Set Pictures For A 2026 DCU Film Have Raised A Thriller Round The Joker
One full yr forward of its September 11, 2026 launch, filming for James Watkins’ Clayface is at present underway. Set footage has captured Tom Rhys Harries’ titular anti-hero sporting an injured look, presumably in a scene that takes place instantly after the incident that transforms him into Clayface. Set images have additionally revealed particulars about the DCU’s Gotham City, together with GCPD patrols and graffiti.
Whereas partially obscured, one of the graffiti spotted on the Clayface set reads “The Jokers”. Clayface‘s “The Jokers“ graffiti might mark the primary point out of Batman’s archnemesis within the DCU, and the truth that it is written in plural might counsel one thing deeper in regards to the Clown Prince of Crime. No particulars in regards to the Joker or his followers have been revealed but, nonetheless.
Set particulars serve to counterpoint a mission’s environment, however they don’t seem to be all the time included within the remaining minimize. For example, Superman and Surprise Girl cosplayers had been noticed on The Batman‘s set, however they’re barely distinguishable far-off within the background within the precise film. Sony’s Morbius famously included graffiti of Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man with the phrase “assassin” written throughout, however this scene by no means appeared within the film.
Clayface‘s “The Jokers” graffiti might or might not seem within the movie. Nevertheless, DC Studios might have already got plans in thoughts for the Joker on this universe. Like Todd Phillips’ Joker duology, the DCU may discover the concept of a number of Jokers, all impressed by an authentic prison who got here up with the clown iconography.
Clayface’s Graffiti Might Hyperlink To A Main DC Comedian Story
DC Comics’ Three Jokers was a 2020 miniseries by Geoff Johns and Jason Fabok. The story revealed that three totally different males had operated as Joker over the a long time, every embodying a special period of the Clown Prince of Crime: the “Prison,” the “Clown,” and the “Comic.” Collectively, they represented Joker’s evolution throughout historical past, explaining how he has change into principally unstoppable.
Adapting Three Jokers within the DCU may assist clear up considered one of Joker’s best challenges: oversaturation. From Jack Nicholson to Heath Ledger, Mark Hamill, Jared Leto, Joaquin Phoenix, and Barry Keoghan, audiences have seen almost every possible take on the Joker. DC Studios may discover all the Joker’s layers from a wholly authentic angle and inside a single portrayal.
As Andy Muschietti’s The Brave and the Bold introduces a veteran Batman, the DCU has the right setup to disclose that he has already confronted a number of Jokers in his lengthy profession. As a substitute of selecting only one interpretation, the DCU may set up Joker as a multifaceted legend in Gotham’s historical past. Every totally different Joker would replicate a special period of Batman’s campaign.
Ben Affleck’s Batman is the one live-action Darkish Knight to have an extended historical past with the Joker, but they solely had one on-screen interplay. The DCU’s Batman might have an extended historical past with all three Jokers, and every of them may seem as a risk to totally different heroes and groups. Accordingly, every Joker may carry a special tone: gritty, fantastical, and comedic, for instance.
The DCU’s Clayface Graffiti Could As a substitute Have A Completely different Which means
One potential clarification for Clayface’s “The Jokers” graffiti is that it refers to not a number of variations of the Clown Prince of Crime, however to unrelated criminals. Gotham has all the time been a metropolis the place criminals rally behind theatrical motifs. Matt Reeves’ The Batman already did one thing related with the “Prepare Gang,” a gaggle of clown-painted thugs with out clear ties to Barry Keoghan’s Joker himself.
One other chance is that “The Jokers” may exist earlier than the Darkish Knight’s archnemesis takes the stage within the DCU. Because the DCU’s upcoming Clayface film is an origin story, a pre-existing gang of clown-themed criminals might precede the Joker’s arrival. On this situation, the gang may not directly encourage the eventual Joker to totally embrace his clown motif.
In any other case, the “The Jokers” graffiti may sign Joker’s inside circle somewhat than a whole gang. “The Jokers” is likely to be shorthand for Joker and his shut allies, which may probably embody Harley Quinn or her darker successor, Punchline. On condition that the DCEU already explored Harley and Joker’s chaotic relationship, the DCU may lean towards introducing Punchline, who’s much more obsessive about him.
