# Gunn defends Clayface and DCU's stand-alone stories

> James Gunn says DC films don't need to set up the next one to matter. Variety reports his Threads reply as Clayface opens at No. 1 with $24 million.

By Subhajit | 2026-10-26 | Movies | Savvy VibeZ
Web page: https://savvyvibez.com/post/gunn-defends-clayface-and-dcu-s-stand-alone-stories

## Key takeaways

- James Gunn wrote on Threads on Oct. 24 that he dislikes the idea that individual stories aren't meaningful unless they lead to something else, Variety reports.
- Clayface opened at No. 1 in North America with about $24 million from 3,458 theaters, and about $43 million worldwide, according to Variety and Deadline.
- Gunn's next DC film, Superman: Man of Tomorrow, is set for July 9, 2027.

DC Studios co-head James Gunn says a DC Universe movie shouldn't have to set up the next one to be worth watching. According to Variety, Gunn made the case on Threads on Saturday, Oct. 24, after a fan asked what his slate of films and shows is "building towards."

## What Gunn said

Variety reports the thread began with a post showing the DCU's foundation (Superman, Peacemaker, Supergirl, Creature Commandos, Clayface and Lanterns) and the question "What is this building towards???" A commenter replied that Gunn doesn't necessarily need to lay the groundwork for one totally interconnected universe. Gunn answered, "I couldn't agree more."

He described the DCU as an alternate universe that can be entered at any place or time. "I dislike the idea that individual stories aren't meaningful unless they lead to something else," he wrote. He pointed to Star Wars, which he said has worked this way for 50 years across movies, shows, games and books, "admittedly without the tonal variety."

Gunn didn't say there's no connective tissue. Per Variety, the Superman saga runs from Superman into Man of Tomorrow and includes many characters from other stories. What he wants, he wrote, is for people to see Clayface because it's "a great, fun horror movie unto itself."

## The box office backdrop

Clayface opened Friday, Oct. 23. Variety says it took about $24 million from 3,458 North American theaters, enough for No. 1. Deadline puts the worldwide opening at about $43 million, a little under the $45 million it says was hoped for, against a net production cost of roughly $44 million before marketing. Deadline also reports an A- CinemaScore. We covered the weekend in [our earlier box office report](/post/wildwood-opens-to-11-2m-as-clayface-leads-weekend-box-office), and these figures are early estimates that can shift.

James Watkins directed the film, which stars Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen, an actor who volunteers for an experimental medical procedure after his face is severely disfigured. Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella and Eddie Marsan also appear, per Variety.

## What's still unclear

Gunn didn't announce a crossover event or say where Clayface turns up next. Variety notes only that the character had never led a standalone feature before. Gunn's next DC release, Superman: Man of Tomorrow, arrives July 9, 2027.

## Our take

This is opinion. Gunn's reply reads as expectation management as much as a creative philosophy. A body-horror movie about a disfigured actor isn't going to slot neatly into a countdown to a big team-up, and he knows it. For U.S. moviegoers who spent years doing homework for Marvel, "no homework required" is a real selling point. It only works if each film earns its ticket alone, and a $24 million start suggests that test is still running.

## Related reading

- [Wildwood opens to $11.2M as Clayface leads weekend box office](/post/wildwood-opens-to-11-2m-as-clayface-leads-weekend-box-office)
- [Polygon pans Clayface: what its review says about DC's new film](/post/polygon-pans-clayface-what-its-review-says-about-dc-s-new-film)

Picture credit: DC