Warner Bros.’ 2026 DCU slate continues to look shaky.
Following Puck News labeling Supergirl and Clayface as red flags for the studio, Variety is now echoing that concern, this time naming Clayface one of 2026’s biggest “question marks” in its box office preview.
And in a major signal of studio confidence (or lack thereof), Supergirl isn’t even listed.
Clayface Gets Called Out in Variety’s 2026 Preview
In Variety’s 2026 box office forecast, Clayface lands in the “Question Marks” section alongside Marvel’s Thunderbolts and Brave New World from this past year, films widely seen as risky or low-excitement bets.
Here’s what they had to say about Clayface: “Has anyone, on this planet or any other, ever heard of Clayface?”
The site also says: “James Gunn and Peter Safran may have revived the DCU with Superman, but not every comic book character is worthy of the big-screen treatment.”
Ouch.
While Variety does give the film credit for standing apart tonally from family-friendly superhero fare — describing it as a “body-horror film” about a disfigured actor who transforms himself into living clay — the overall tone is skeptical.
Supergirl Isn’t Even Mentioned
Even more telling? Supergirl is completely absent from Variety’s 2026 outlook — not even listed in the entire article, which also includes categories such as “Sure Things” and “Safe Bets.”
That aligns perfectly with previous reporting that Warner Bros. isn’t treating Supergirl as a major release. Internally, both Supergirl and Clayface are being described as low-priority, low-expectation projects, with little confidence they’ll move the needle for the DCU.
If Variety’s ignoring a supposed tentpole DC film altogether, that says a lot about what the studio is signaling behind the scenes.
Clayface Is Still a Mystery, and That’s the Problem
Despite being scheduled for a September 11, 2026 release, there’s still no trailer, and no hype for Clayface.
Fans aren’t talking about it. The general public has no idea it exists. And even hardcore DC followers are unsure how it fits into the larger DCU (where’s Batman?!).
If Gunn’s Superman couldn’t bring back mainstream audiences, what hope does Clayface have?
