DC StudiosWith only two films out in the world, it’s sink or swim for the new DC Universe. That’s especially true after Supergirl failed to cause much of a stir at the box office, drawing plenty of scrutiny to the specifics of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s franchise-wide reboot. To say that the creative co-chairs are taking an unorthodox approach to building this new universe might be the understatement of the decade. The DCU started strong with Superman, but the timeline has zigged when it needs to zag, jumping across a timeline few actually understand instead of telling a straightforward story. It’s unconventional, not to mention risky, and that strategy only gets riskier with Clayface. Not only will Clayface give fans their first look at the DCU’s Gotham City — all without Batman, the hero who calls Gotham home — but it could also be the earliest story set in this timeline. Safran recently revealed that the Clayface we see in Creature Commandos is the same we’ll meet in the upcoming live-action film, making Clayface a retroactive origin story not only for the villain, but for Gotham and maybe even the entire DCU.Introducing fans to Gotham through the lens of a lesser-known villain is a daring strategy, but it helps that Clayface looks like a gnarly film. Director James Watkins helms a straight-up horror story written by Mike Flanagan, where Thom Rhys Harries stars as one of many versions of Clayface, Matt Hagen (although from the story we see in the trailer, it’s clear that Clayface is adopting the origins of a different incarnation, Basil Karlo). In the comics, Hagen was a treasure hunter transformed into a shapeshifting monster after encountering a mysterious pool of chemicals in a cave. Karlo, meanwhile, was a fading actor who turned to murder to get revenge on those who wronged him, and that story clearly inspired DC’s Clayface.Unlike Karlo, Harries’ Hagen is a rising star... until a brutal attack turns his handsome face into a gruesome crime scene. He turns to a brilliant scientist, Dr. Caitlyn Corr (Naomi Ackie), whose research has something to do with genetic experimentation. She injects him with a substance that restores his good looks, but inevitably makes him so elastic that he transforms into a mass of clay-like goo. That newfound power — and its horrific side effects — quickly goes to Hagen’s head. And though there might not be a cameo from Batman in the cards (or even a Batman protecting Gotham) when Hagen becomes Clayface, he will face some opposition from an original character, Max Minghella’s Gotham PD detective John Borrelli. Clayface seems to be playing fast and loose with the character’s origins and the world of Gotham. Given that this is a prequel, it’ll inevitably set the tone for this corner of the DCU. That’s a lot of responsibility for a film that should just be a standalone spinoff; hopefully Clayface can live up to it.Clayface hits theaters on October 23.