Could The Batman Spin-off Movie Plans Bring Back One of DC’s Most Twisted Villains

Reeves took a surprisingly grounded approach to Batman, even more so than previous director Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. How many members of Batman’s famously colorful rogues gallery could fit this aesthetic?

Turns out, more than you would think. Reeves is among many filmmakers, including The Suicide Squad director James Gunn and Black Adam star Dwayne Johnson, pitching ambitious DC projects to Warner Bros. The outlet reports that Reeves wants to make movies “focused on Batman rogue’s gallery, both established and more obscure, with characters ranging from the Scarecrow to Clayface to Professor Pyg.” These projects are all “in the very early stages of gestation,” it does clarify that Reeves is talking about movies, not HBO Max series similar to the upcoming Penguin series starring Colin Farrell.

As Nolan already showed in Batman Begins and its sequels, the Scarecrow certainly works within a more realistic universe. But the other two names listed here do stand out for different reasons. Clayface has a long history as a Batman antagonist, first appearing in 1940’s Detective Comics #40.

Thanks to his comic book appearances in the past few decades and prominent role in Batman: The Animated Series, Clayface is best known as a giant shape-shifting mud creature who can perfectly imitate anyone he chooses. But Reeves’s Clayface would likely resemble the character’s original version, where he was just a Lon Chaney-style actor who used make-up to disguise himself when committing crimes.

Meanwhile, one of the more recent additions to Batman’s collection of baddies, Professor Pyg made his debut in Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s acclaimed Batman & Robin run, which saw original Robin Dick Grayson take on the mantle of Batman after Bruce Wayne’s death (actually, he was sent back in time by Darkseid, where he manifested throughout history as a reoccurring Bat-myth because comics are awesome).

Mark Boardman is a entertainment writer, reviewer and celebrity interviewer, best known for talking showbiz new on the red carpet and promoting showbiz events across London including film premiere pr.