The DCU’s latest addition, the franchise’s first-ever R-rated horror movie, Clayface, has had a fairly success debut, but new comments from the film’s director, James Watkins, suggest that it still might not get a sequel. Currently Clayface is proving to be quite popular with audiences, at least if the movie’s Rotten Tomatoes scores are any indication. Right now, Clayface has a decent 76% with critics and a considerably better and honestly rather impressive 94% with audiences. Particularly considering how divisive superhero (or villain) movies tend to be, this is nothing to scoff at.
Therefore, even with reviews of Clayface being somewhat mixed, it seemed safe to assume that a sequel movie was on the table. While that certainly can’t be counted out yet, though, Watkins’ new insight into what he thinks might be next for this character could mean that fans won’t be getting a follow-up story after all, as he revealed in a recent interview with Variety that he saw Clayface as a standalone movie and directed it as such; the rest, he said, will be up to James Gunn. Check out his full quote below.
Speaking with Variety, Watkins was asked where he thinks Clayface will go next. Surprisingly, he didn’t seem to have a clear plan or even express hope for the story to continue, instead saying, “That’s a question for James Gunn. I liked the standalone nature of it. I liked how it felt like it introduced a character. But I wasn’t trying to introduce the character to go, ‘Okay, what next?’ I was trying to introduce the character as a full meal in itself.” While it makes sense and is arguably for the better that Watkins wanted Clayface to feel like a narrative that could stand on its own two feet and was largely self-contained, this is a little surprising, if only because, particular when it comes to superhero franchises, a true one-off feels quite rare. Adding the popularity and success of the movie thus far to that mix had made a follow-up to Clayface, whether a movie, show, or something else, feel like a no-brainer.
Of course, as Watkins is himself saying, the answer to the question of a sequel isn’t a flat-out no. This is, ultimately, something that Gunn will have to decide on for himself, and it’s anyone’s guess as to whether he will want a sequel story—even Watkins, it seems, doesn’t know. However, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for Gunn to consider it, especially considering how Clayface has performed with audiences compared to, for example, Supergirl. With the DCU still fairly new and also in need of some wins, this is almost certainly something he is taking into consideration. Yet, there is probably just as much risk of messing up a good thing with a sequel, so there are valid points to be made on both sides.
Do you hope to see a sequel to Clayface, or do you feel it’s better to leave a successful movie alone? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
