More than 30 years after its premiere, Batman: The Animated Series remains one of the most significant projects in the history of The Dark Knight and DC Comics as a whole. Specifically, the series is known for introducing new characters that have become fixtures in the DC canon and reintroducing and streamlining members of Batman’s supporting cast, especially some of his supervillain rivals who were not prominent in prior popular adaptations, such as the live-action Adam West TV show or Tim Burton and Michael Keaton’s first film. The most famous example of this trend is Mr. Freeze, with the tragic origin of the cryogenic villain introduced in B:TAS having since become synonymous with the character.
But another member of the Gotham rogues’ gallery has become more frequently used in recent adaptations and similarly owes his newfound success to his portrayal in The Animated Series. Various versions of Clayface have feuded with Batman since 1940, but it was a two-part episode of The Animated Series that condensed their complicated mythology into a striking story with relatable, sympathetic themes.
Who or What Exactly Is Clayface?
Image via Max
Image via Warner Bros. Animation
Image via Max
Image via Max
Image via Max
The original Clayface, whose real name is Basil Karlo, was introduced in Detective Comics #40. A struggling actor, Karlo is devastated to learn that a role he made famous in a horror film is being recast for an upcoming remake, and subsequently turns to crime using the character’s guise. The character only appeared twice in the Golden Age of comics but inspired several later iterations of Clayface, the most prominent of which was Matt Hagen, a treasure hunter who gains superhuman shape-shifting abilities after being exposed to radioactive materials.
The DC Animated Universe version of Clayface, introduced in Batman: The Animated Series and voiced by Ron Perlman, is named Matt Hagen, but his story draws more from Karlo’s. The two-part episode “Feat of Clay” introduces the character already engaged in criminal work for corrupt businessman Roland Daggett (Ed Asner), in exchange for Daggett’s continued provision of an experimental skin cream called Renuyu, which allows him to alter the appearance of his face, having been disfigured in an accident. Batman (Kevin Conroy) begins investigating the situation as Hagen becomes increasingly addicted to Renuyu, fearing that without it his scarred appearance will end his acting career. When he tries to steal a large supply of the cream so he will no longer be under Daggett’s thumb, some of the latter’s henchmen force-feed Hagen a huge amount of Renuyu. This transforms his whole body into the clay-like substance, giving him a monstrous resting appearance, although it also gives him the power of shape-shifting.
However, Hagen is not fully in control of his newfound powers and remains convinced that his life has been ruined. He confronts Daggett while the latter is promoting Renuyu on television, and plans to kill him before Batman intervenes, with Hagen beginning to continuously, uncontrollably, change shape before accidentally electrocuting himself. He briefly resumes both his original and then disfigured faces, remarking, “You know what I’d have given for a death scene like this? Too bad I won’t get to read the notices,” before appearing to die; this fakeout, of course, was his greatest performance. The character continued to appear in various episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, often turning to crime in the hopes of stabilizing or reversing his condition.
“Feat of Clay” Inspired Mike Flanagan’s ‘Clayface’ Movie Script
Hagen’s DCAU storyline in “Feat of Clay” makes him one of the many sympathetic villains in the franchise, as his desire to meet society’s often harmful standards of physical beauty is something a lot of viewers can relate to, especially if they, like Hagen, are in the entertainment or similar industries and partially rely on their physical appearances for their livelihood and passions. The desperate actor history has been solidified as arguably the most iconic aspect of Clayface’s mythology, being incorporated into both subsequent comic book iterations and later adaptations, although many of these later versions have returned to using the Karlo name, even though the characters’ actual superpowers and other aspects of their designs link them to The Animated Series’ Hagen.
It’s not yet confirmed whether this will be the same shape-shifting version of the character that already appeared in DCU animated series Creature Commandos. But it is clear that the film will echo “Feat of Clay,” with the project said to focus on a B-movie actor who injects himself with a mysterious substance to remain relevant, and filmmaker Mike Flanagan, who wrote the first draft of the film’s screenplay, having directly stated that the arc inspired him when speaking with Comicbook:
I mean that is the perfect [story],”Feat of Clay,” Ron Perlman, to me, that’s it. That two-parter knocked me out. The short answer is that is absolutely what inspired my script. That is the world I wanted to live in. Batman: The Animated Series when I was growing up was my Batman. As much as [Michael] Keaton was my Batman, The Animated Series really was my Batman.
While Flanagan is no longer involved with the film, his script still served as a jumping off point for the upcoming film, proving that Batman: The Animated Series continues to be the most influential show in DC history.
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Batman: The Animated Series
TV-PG
Mystery
ActionScience FictionRelease Date1992 – 1995-00-00NetworkFOX, Fox KidsShowrunnerBruce TimmDirectorsKevin Altieri, Boyd Kirkland, Frank Paur, Dan Riba, Dick SebastWritersMichael Reaves, Brynne Stephens, Randy Rogel, David Wise, Len Wein, Marty Isenberg, Richard Mueller, Sam Graham, Peter Morwood, Dennis O’Neil, Carl Swenson, Beth Bornstein, Steve Hayes, Chris Hubbell, Martin Pasko, Henry Gilroy, Elliot S. Maggin, Eddie Gorodetsky, Diane Duane
Cast
Kevin ConroyBatman (voice)
Efrem Zimbalist Jr.Alfred Pennyworth (voice)- Bob HastingsCommissioner Gordon (voice)
Loren LesterRobin (voice)