James Gunn Responds to ‘Clayface’ Criticism: ‘The Public Voting on What IP They Want to See’ Isn’t ‘the Only Way to Make a Movie’

James Gunn has an answer to the question of “who tf asked for a Clayface movie,” posed by a user on the DC Studios head’s Threads account earlier this week.

“Who tf asked for Back to the Future? Casablanca? There’s Something About Mary? Pan’s Labyrinth? Fury Road? Weapons? The Matrix?” Gunn fired back on the platform. (The user’s original comment has since been deleted.) “Although it may seem like it, Hollywood isn’t a place where the only way to make a movie is the public voting on what IP they want to see that they’ve seen countless times before.”

He posted again: “Sometimes someone — in this case initially Mike Flanagan and then James Watkins and Hossein Amini — were inspired by a relatively little-known fictional character and crafted what I believe is a very special story around that character. I’d take that inspiration a thousand times over some writer trying to make a buck by writing a listless screenplay about a majorly popular character he or she has no passion or feel for.”

Despite the fact that Clayface is a considerably nicher choice for a feature film compared to past DC movies like “Supergirl” and “Superman,” most fans have been eagerly awaiting the premiere of “Clayface” since the gory trailer premiered months ago. And while versions of the character have appeared on screen in the years since the comic’s 1940 debut, the film, directed by James Watkins (“Speak No Evil”), marks the first time audiences will see the shape-shifting villain in a film all of his own.

Tom Rhys Harries plays the titular character, also known as Matt Hagen. “Matt Hagen’s meteoric rise from Gotham street kid to Hollywood leading man is tragically cut short when a local crime boss’s actions leave him horribly disfigured,” reads the film’s official description. “Abandoned by his team and with nothing left, Matt seeks out a cutting-edge treatment that miraculously returns him to his former self… but also unexpectedly affects his grip on reality, spiraling him down a destructive path of all-consuming revenge.” Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella and Eddie Marsan also star.