Everything Clayface Tells Us About James Gunn's Gotham City In The DC Universe

This article contains minor spoilers for "Clayface."

The new DC Universe is continuing to unfold and "Clayface" has finally brought us to Batman's stomping grounds, Gotham City. James Gunn's "Superman" showed off Metropolis and "Supergirl" went full-on cosmic. But director James Watkins' take on the classic DC Comics villain is far more grounded, with Tom Rhys Harries starring as Matt Hagen in the DC Studios movie, the man who becomes the titular villain. His adventures in Gotham tell us a lot about the city and its place in the DCU.

The movie chronicles Matt Hagen's rise from Gotham street kid to Hollywood leading man, which is tragically cut short when a local crime boss leaves 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. However, it also unexpectedly affects his grip on reality, spiraling him down a destructive path of all-consuming revenge.

"Clayface" is a horror movie set in Batman's world, but one that doesn't actually feature Batman. We get to see a more ground-level view of Gotham City from a more average person, as well as the wealthy. Matt starts off as a well-to-do actor, hitting up fancy night clubs and whatnot. Once he's down on his luck, it's back to the slums, offering us a totally different view of the city.

From the Narrows where Matt grew up to the glitz of Downtown Gotham, the Gotham City of the new DCU doesn't feel homogeneous, or some black and white rich or poor big city with a clear dividing line. This version of Gotham City is many things. The "Clayface" trailer revealed Batman's Gotham City for Gunn's DC Universe, the movie delivers on the promise and goes much deeper.

What "Clayface" presents to viewers is perhaps the most comprehensive view of Gotham City we've ever had. It's a true epicenter of that world, much like New York City in our world. There's a Hollywood element. There are nice parts and slummy parts. It's not just one unified "dirty city with rich people in it." It feels so fleshed out and rich, with so much left that is all worth exploring.

1989's "Batman" made Tim Burton a box office superhero, with his version of Gotham City more overtly gothic and comic book-y. By the time "Batman Forever" rolled around in 1995, director Joel Schumacher turned Gotham into a neon-soaked labyrinth of massive buildings and excess. The one we're presented with in the new DCU couldn't be more different. It's far more grounded and feels like it could be a real place.

It's closer to what we saw in Christopher Nolan's "Batman" trilogy. "The Dark Knight" redesigned Gotham City from the ground up, but it felt like a very real city, like a slightly grittier version of Chicago. The difference here is that "Clayface" showcases a version of Gotham that isn't unified. It's not one thing and it doesn't quite feel like it's from our world, though it does feel like a close cousin to New York City in many ways.

There are big movie premieres, yet there are slums in another part of the city. There are lavish night clubs with crime bosses corrupting the police, yet there are parts of the city that feel almost ignored entirely by anyone in power. "Clayface" only scratches the surface but makes it clear that this version of Gotham is sprawling and has different little worlds within itself.

"Clayface" is very specifically setting up Gotham City for the new DC Universe. This isn't the same Gotham City that Matt Reeves designed for "The Batman," which is very gothic, gritty, and labyrinthian. To that end, Robert Pattinson doubts that his Batman will be in James Gunn's DC Universe. The Gotham we see in this movie will feature a Batman audiences don't know yet.

Another important thing to note is that "Clayface" takes place earlier in the DCU timeline. The city could certainly evolve by the time "The Brave and the Bold" comes out and Batman is firmly patrolling the streets of Gotham.

This movie offers a window into the home of Bruce Wayne/Batman. It also makes it easy to understand why a DC movie set in Gotham City could completely ignore the Batman of it all. It's a big city with so much to explore. There's that line in "The Dark Knight" where a crook says, "You've got more chance of winning the Powerball than running into him." That never feels more true than it does in this version of Gotham. One man can only do so much.

But it's very easy to picture Batman in this vision of Gotham. It's equally easy to see many of his other foes. The "Clayface" trailer seemingly featured a Joker Easter egg, one that is also in the movie. We don't see the Clown Prince of Crime, but it feels like he's lurking somewhere. This ultimately feels like a massive template that other filmmakers can flesh out in future DCU movies, setting up a city rich with characters and character itself.