Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: dcu

  • ‘Clayface’: James Gunn Confirms New Film’s Place on the DCU Timeline

    ‘Clayface’: James Gunn Confirms New Film’s Place on the DCU Timeline

    Following the release of the teaser trailer for DC Studios’ Clayface, fans expressed some confusion about if the film’s titular monster was the same character that debuted in Season 1 of Creature Commandos. It’s a fair question given that the title of Clayface has belonged to more than half a dozen characters in the pages of DC Comics and also because in it’s short history, the DCU’s timeline has expanded chronologically…until now.

    While responding to a fan’s question about when Clayface takes place within the DCU, DC Studios’ co-chair James Gunn revealed that the events of the new film are set before Superman, making it “the first DCU film out of chronological order.”

    Set in Gotham and inspired by Batman the Animated Series, Clayface will tell Matt Hagen’s origins as the muddy menace. With it being set an undisclosed period of time before Superman, it leaves plenty of room for DC Studios to either explain how Hagen continues on as the character or pass the mantle to another character.

    Clayface will “center on an ascending actor whose face is disfigured by a gangster. As a last resort, the actor turns to a fringe Elizabeth Holmes-style scientist for help. At first, the experiment is a successful but … well, it wouldn’t be a horror movie if the story ended right there, would it?”

  • ‘Clayface’ Trailer Reveals a Terrifying Body Horror Vision for the DCU

    Look fear in the face—or what’s left of it. DC Studios has officially dropped the first trailer for Clayface, and it is a stark departure from the traditional superhero aesthetic.

    Written by horror maestro Mike Flanagan and directed by James Watkins (Speak No Evil), the film stars Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen, an actor whose face is destroyed in a brutal attack. The footage shows Hagen in a hospital bed, bandaged and bloody, before shifting into The Fly territory as his cells begin to liquefy. We get a shadowy glimpse of Hagen transforming his arm into a spiked mace, but the horror remains grounded in the tragedy of his lost identity.

    This is a full-blown body horror movie that just so happens to me set in the DCU. The trailer concludes with Hagen in a bathtub literally wiping his own face away with his hand. If you want the dark, tragic side of Gotham without the Bat-Signal, this is your movie.

  • ‘Clayface’ Trailer Rumored for Today; “Regenerative Medicine” Teased

    DC Studios has been quietly dropping breadcrumbs for their Clayface movie and now they’re about to introduce the DCU’s first true monster movie. Following a week of viral teasers focused on actor Matt Hagen’s “fading looks,” the first trailer for Clayface is expected to drop later today.

    After launching anInstagram account for the film which serves as a viral marketing tool, a new teaser for Gotham Medical magazine features a headline about “The New Face of Regenerative Medicine.” Reports suggest the first trailer is dropping today.

    The viral campaign has focused on a fictional publication called Gotham Medical, highlighting Dr. Caitlin Bates’ (Naomi Ackie) breakthrough in regenerative medicine. The “tragedy” of the film reportedly stems from Hagen using this untested tech to restore his face after a disfiguring accident, only to have his cellular structure become permanently unstable.

    Clyafacs is shaping up as a movie monster tragedy. The marketing is framing Hagen’s transformation as a failed experimental treatment to save his acting career, rather than a simple accident. Descriptions of footage from the film shown at CinemaCon suggest a film that is part The Fly and part Phantom of the Opera. It’s a grounded, heartbreaking look at a man who can become anyone but can no longer remain himself.

  • First ‘Man of Tomorrow’ Set Photo Reveals Logo, Teases Classic Luthor/Superman Battle

    First ‘Man of Tomorrow’ Set Photo Reveals Logo, Teases Classic Luthor/Superman Battle

    Production has begun on DC Studios Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow, and director James Gunn has wasted no time in teasing the film’s core dynamic and revealing a sneaky look at the film’s logo.

    In a photo shared by Gunn on social media, a chess board sits front and center near a badge that confirms Nicholas Hoult‘s Lex Luthor will still be in Van Kull prison when the film begins. Fans of the comics will likely recall that Luthor is a bit of a chess master and has played the game against both Clark and Jonathan Kent while they visited him in prison.

    While it’s intentionally a little tougher to see, a logo that combines the crest of the House of El with the iconic three-dot Brainiac can be seen on the clapboard at the top of the photo.

    In Man of Tomorrow, Brainiac, played by Lars Eldinger, will pose a threat so great that Superman and Luthor will team up to stop him.

  • Sydney Chandler Reportedly Cast in Upcoming DC Studios Animated Project

    The roster of Task Force M is officially getting a major power upgrade—and a brand new voice. According to the latest casting updates for Creature Commandos Season 2, Sydney Chandler (Alien: Earth, Don’t Worry Darling) has been officially cast as Nosferata after reading for a key role in Man of Tomorrow.

    The character, who was teased in the Season 1 finale as a new recruit for the team, is set to be a series regular in the upcoming season as the DCU explores the more supernatural corners of its mythology. Unlike the hulking monsters we’ve seen so far, Nosferata brings a different kind of  undead energy to the team.

    In the pages of DC Comics, Nosferata is a vampire created during the 1940s experiments of Project Moreau.

    In the DCU, after spending decades as an inmate at Belle Reve, she was recruited by Amanda Waller to join the new iteration of the Creature Commandos led by The Bride.
    She was first seen playing ping-pong with Doctor Phosphorus in the Season 1 finale. In Season 2, she’ll be a core member of the squad, filling the void left by the death of Nina Mazursky.

    Per James Gunn’s rule for the DCU, Sydney Chandler will provide the voice for the animated series and is expected to play the character in any future live-action appearances. Chandler joins an already stacked voice cast, including Indira Varma (The Bride), Alan Tudyk (Doctor Phosphorus), Sean Gunn (G.I. Robot/Weasel), and David Harbour (Eric Frankenstein).

    Season 2 is currently in active production, with Gunn confirming that animation is underway. While a release date hasn’t been locked, the show is expected to return to Max in late 2026 or early 2027, picking up after the events of Peacemaker Season 2.

    Source: The Insneider

  • ‘Supergirl’ CinemaCon Footage Teases a Brutal Sci-Fi Western

    ‘Supergirl’ CinemaCon Footage Teases a Brutal Sci-Fi Western

    The worst kept secret in DC history is finally out. During the Warner Bros. CinemaCon presentation, Jason Momoa made a grand entrance on a practical Spacehog to confirm he has officially transitioned from King of Atlantis to the DCU’s ultimate bounty hunter, Lobo.

    Attendees were treated to a sequence from Supergirl that reportedly “shocked” the room with its grit. The scene features a battle-worn Kara (Milly Alcock) in a seedy alien tavern. Just as she’s about to be overwhelmed, Lobo crashes through the wall to claim a bounty on the same target. The chemistry between the hardened Kara and the chaotic Lobo is reportedly the heart of the film’s first act.

    This confirms James Gunn is staying true to the Tom King source material. Supergirl isn’t a Girl of Steel here; she’s a survivor in a lawless galaxy. By pairing her with Momoa’s Lobo, DC is creating a Lethal Weapon in Space dynamic that sets a completely new bar for the franchise.

    Momoa was born to play Lobo, and seeing Alcock stand her ground against his 6’4” frame proves she was the right choice. If this footage leaks, the DCU skeptics are going to have a very hard time finding things to complain about.

  • THR Reveals Real ‘Superman’ Sequel Contenders After James Gunn Debunk Dunk

    THR Reveals Real ‘Superman’ Sequel Contenders After James Gunn Debunk Dunk

    Don’t believe everything you hear on the gossip circuit—unless James Gunn gives it the thumbs up. After the DC Studios co-CEO took to social media to debunk earlier reports involving Ella Purnell and Adria Arjona, The Hollywood Reporter has swooped in with a new shortlist for the Empress of Almerac.

    According to the report, the search for Maxima in the seque, Man of Tomorrow, has narrowed down to three powerhouse finalists.

    According to THR’s Aaron Couch, Adria Arjona, Eva De Dominici, Sydney Chandler and Grace Van Patten tested for the role of Maxima this week in Atlanta. And according to Gunn’s own comments, the studio only has one role left to cast for the film, so things should come to a conclusion relatively quickly.

    A member of the Royal Family of the planet Almerac, Maxima’s primary motivation is the survival and evolution of her bloodline. Considered the ultimate genetic prize of her species because of the unique structure of her DNA, she spent years traveling the cosmos in search of a “suitable” mate—someone whose power could match her own and produce an heir capable of ruling Almerac. And that quest led her to Earth where Kal-El’s Kryptonian heritage caught her attention.

    A composite powerhouse with a wide array of super powers, Maxima first appeared in an antagonistic role before transitioning into an ally of Superman and, eventually, a member of the Justice League. Her appearance in the film might indicate Gunn has adapted the 1992 Superman crossover event, “Panic in the Sky,” that featured Maxima teaming up with Brainiac.

  • Krypto in the Crosshairs — New ‘Supergirl’ Trailer Goes Full Space-Western

    Krypto in the Crosshairs — New ‘Supergirl’ Trailer Goes Full Space-Western

    If the first teaser was a Blondie-fueled introduction to Milly Alcock’s wild-child Kara, the second trailer for Supergirl is the emotional gut-punch that reminds us that this isn’t her cousin’s movie, even if he does make an appearance.

    Set to the haunting 1966 soul ballad “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” by Jimmy Ruffin, the new footage pivots from the 23rd birthday party to the high-stakes mission at the center of the film: a desperate race to save Krypto.

    The trailer finally confirms the inciting incident of the film, pulling directly from the Tom King/Bilquis Evely source material. Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts) has poisoned Krypto with a lethal toxin, leaving Kara and the young Ruthye (Eve Ridley) with only three days to find him and the antidote.

    Director Craig Gillespie is leaning heavily into the Space Western aesthetic. The vast, dusty alien landscapes and the focus on Kara’s isolation make this feel like True Grit meets John Wick…as he said.

    With Supergirl hitting theaters on June 26, 2026, the marketing is successfully positioning Kara not just as a hero, but as a survivor who is finally finding something worth fighting for.

  • True Crime in Metropolis — DC Studios Taps ‘American Vandal’ Creators for Jimmy Olsen/Gorilla Grodd Spinoff

    True Crime in Metropolis — DC Studios Taps ‘American Vandal’ Creators for Jimmy Olsen/Gorilla Grodd Spinoff

    The DCU is about to get the mockumentary treatment. In a report first shared by Variety, DC Studios is officially developing a prestige true crime docuseries centered on Superman’s pal, Jimmy Olsen.

    Rumors of an anthology-style series that would see Jimmy investigating the Daily Planet’s most dangerous leads emerged in mid-2025 and now it seems as though the studio is ready to move forward with the project.

    Following his breakout performance in James Gunn’s Superman, Skyler Gisondo is set to reprise his role for the HBO Max original. But this isn’t your typical superhero spinoff—it’s an investigative deep-dive into the criminal underworld of the DC Universe.

    In what might be the most inspired creative pairing of Chapter 1, DC has tapped Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault—the minds behind the Peabody Award-winning American Vandal—to write, showrun, and executive produce. The show is described as a grounded, noir-inflected mystery that focuses on Daily Planet staff members as they navigate a world of institutional corruption and metahuman conspiracies

    The series is framed as a fictionalized true-crime investigation hosted by Jimmy. Season 1 will focus entirely on the criminal history of Gorilla Grodd. Reframing the iconic Flash foe as a subject for an investigative documentary allows the DCU to explore Grodd’s “layered psychological profile” and his path from scientific experiment to global threat through archival footage and “interviews”.

    By moving the American Vandal duo into the DCU, Gunn is doubling down on his promise to diversify the “tone, scale, and format” of the franchise. This isn’t just a spinoff; it’s an experiment in genre-bending that could change how we view comic book villains forever.

  • James Gunn Confirms the “Superman Saga” Timeline; How ‘Supergirl’ Bridges the Gap to 2027

    James Gunn Confirms the “Superman Saga” Timeline; How ‘Supergirl’ Bridges the Gap to 2027

    James Gunn is once again using his Threads account to do the heavy lifting for the DCU’s marketing department. With three major projects featuring Kryptonians now on the board, fans have been scrambling to figure out the chronological order of the “Gods and Monsters” era.

    Over the weekend, Gunn officially settled the debate. When asked where Milly Alcock’s Supergirl sits in relation to the two Superman films, Gunn kept it simple:

    In between Superman and Man of Tomorrow.

    -James Gunn on Supergirl’s place in the DCU Timeline

    This confirmation gives us a clear look at the structure Gunn is building and the key role that the Kryptonian cousins have in it.

    Though Gunn didn’t write or direct Supergirl, it seems reasonable to believe that Brainiac could be referenced or even show up in a minor role, perhaps a flashback, especially since the trailer confirmed scenes set in Kandor, the capital city of Krypton that was shrunken and kept in a bottle by Brainiac. If that does indeed happen, it makes Supergirl a key contributor to the lore of Gunn’s planned four-film Superman Saga.