When The Batman was released in theaters, it proved that a more grounded take on The Dark Knight similar to Christopher Nolan’s version could still work in a world where heroes have become more fantastic than ever. It also showed that while grounded, there was still room for the more outlandish concepts, such as The Riddler’s plan to flood Gotham or Batman’s admittedly outrageous feats while in combat. But according to some sources, The Batman – Part II could push the envelope even further by introducing one of his more unique villains yet to be shown on screen: Clayface.
In the comics, Clayface was an actor named Basil Karlo who was on the cusp of his next big break. However, the news of his father’s death led to an accident that left his face scarred. Lost, he turned to a toxic chemical his father created known as Renu that could mold the face to look like anyone. Sadly, this led to an overexposure that turned him into Clayface. Though he may have a less-than-grounded origin for this universe, it could still work with the addition of a classic Superman villain: Lex Luthor.
Clayface Could Lead to a Debut of Lex Luthor
In other forms of media, Clayface and Lex Luthor have had a handful of strange but meaningful team-ups against Batman and Superman. One of the oldest was in World’s Finest #148 (by Edmond Hamilton and Curt Swan) in which Batman and Superman are sent to an Earth where they must face evil counterparts alongside a heroic Lex Luthor and Clayface. However, in the “Secret Society” two-parter of the Justice League cartoon, Luthor used Clayface to aid the Secret Society in stopping the League. While both instances show vastly different styles of working together, they represent the possibilities of what could happen should the two join forces. On the side of villainy, it also proved how Lex can manipulate Clayface time and again.
It was confirmed that Lexcorp, the company owned by Luthor was canon in The Batman universe. While this doesn’t necessarily mean that Superman’s on the horizon, it does open up some doors to the level of possibility that’s present in this particular universe. Should Clayface go through his metamorphosis, for example, it may not be through a family cosmetic product but instead through an accident within Lexcorp. It could also be that Karlo was an unwitting guinea pig in one of his experiments that resulted in the creation of Clayface. By blaming Wayne Enterprises for this as the two companies have always had connections, it could give Clayface the motivation to terrorize Gotham City looking for a cure.
Lex Luthor Could Be the Perfect Villain For Pattinson’s Batman
While Clayface would be an unlikely but welcomed addition to Batman’s long line of villains brought to the big screen, the real surprise would be how it could potentially set Lex Luthor up as a formidable foe for Bruce Wayne as well. At this point in Bruce’s career, he hasn’t quite mastered the billionaire playboy persona that he’s known for. But with an enemy like Luthor using his money and influence to slowly gain a stranglehold on Gotham, using Clayface as an example, he could push Bruce further into the light. As a result, Bruce could create his persona out of necessity to show that neither he nor Gotham City are afraid of his presence or whatever dark deeds he has planned.
Batman has always been known for intellectual and physically imposing villains, with some, even embodying both at the same time. He has also lacked in enemies that challenge Bruce Wayne just as much as the Caped Crusader. In establishing its own canon, The Batman – Part II could utilize Lex Luthor perfectly by having him push Bruce to be more hands-on with his company to save it. By pulling him in one direction and Clayface in another, it could prove just how much Bruce will have to work to maintain balance while also establishing himself as Gotham’s favorite son. Though it may seem unorthodox at first, Clayface bringing in Lex Luthor could be just what Bruce needs to make himself the public figure fans are so used to.