For weeks, set photos from the upcoming Clayface film, shot in Liverpool, have been circulating online, giving fans a tantalizing first look at Gotham City within the new DC Universe. These glimpses of props and set decorations sparked intense speculation among fans and media alike, including ourselves here at IGN, eager to decipher what they might reveal about the DCU’s version of the iconic city.
For instance, a leaked map of Gotham City seemingly confirmed the presence of key locations like Wayne Manor, Wayne Tower, and Wayne Industries within the Clayface timeline. Further sightings included The Wayne Community Center, subtle nods to the drug “bliss” from the HBO series The Penguin (a show confirmed to be outside the main DCU continuity), and even Club Vesuvius. Eagle-eyed fans also spotted a Gotham license plate, an homage to Clayface co-creator Bill Finger, and a curious missing person poster featuring a tribute to Batman artist Jim Aparo.
However, during a recent interview, DC Studios co-chief James Gunn took a moment to temper expectations, downplaying the deeper significance of these background details for the DCU’s Gotham City.
IGN: We’re getting our first look at the DCU’s Gotham City in Clayface, and there’s a ton of those little Easter eggs in the set photos. How canon is some of that stuff? Like there’s a mention of Joker, there’s a Penguin Man poster. Should we take that background stuff as anything more than just background stuff?
James Gunn: You really have to take it as something that an art department put together because I never… First of all, there’s a couple of things that I don’t even think were on the set, like that bat insignia. I think somebody put that there afterwards. But I haven’t seen all those things, but they weren’t something that came across my desk.
He elaborated further, mentioning a dedicated team member: ‘And also, we have a guy, Phil, who is now in charge of the DCU Bible of keeping everything consistent and making sure that the cities are the same and the maps are the same and the celebrities are the same, all the stuff that they need to keep consistent. And I don’t think he’s OK’d all the art department stuff on that movie.’
When pressed again about the Gotham City maps, asking if fans should curb their excitement, Gunn was clear: ‘I don’t think so. I don’t think so, no.’
The Batman insignia Gunn mentioned is notably from 2022’s The Batman, which initially fueled fan theories about Robert Pattinson’s version of the Caped Crusader potentially crossing over into the DCU. However, a closer look at elements like news vans and GCPD patrol cars from both films confirms they exist in separate continuities. It appears to be a mere coincidence that both Clayface and The Batman utilized Liverpool as their stand-in for Gotham City.
The upcoming Clayface film, a body horror feature directed by James Watkins and scripted by Mike Flanagan, stars Tom Rhys Harries, Naomie Ackie, and Max Minghella. It is scheduled to hit theaters in September 2026.
For more insights from our conversation with James Gunn, explore his thoughts on Peacemaker Season 2’s impactful DCU cameo and the current ‘flux’ surrounding the Batman: The Brave and the Bold movie.