Even James Gunn wouldn’t be brave or bold enough to try this fan pitch for a prominent Batman villain

It’s no secret that James Gunn‘s incoming DC Universe reboot has many a fan watering at the mouth, desperate for one of the most prominent character rosters in the entirety of fiction to receive the gripping big-screen treatment it deserves. But, if one were to narrow down such anticipation to a subsection of these characters, it’s safe to assume Batman’s rogues’ gallery would be vying for the top spot.

Indeed, from the Joker to Two-Face to the Riddler to Scarecrow, the legion of baddies faced by the Caped Crusader over the years is among the most prime real estate available to Gunn, with their uniquely morbid ethos matched only by their depth of personality.

And one character we’re extra excited to see is Clayface, the shapeshifting supervillain who’s boasted a wide array of secret identities over the years, from the mischievous thespian Basil Karlo to the gifted scientist Preston Payne. It’s hard to say which version of the character will end up making it to the DCU, but one thing is for sure — Clayface is bound to look awfully gnarly.

But just how gnarly could Clayface end up looking? And more importantly, how could Gunn get the best possible mileage out of such an inevitability? Well, some folks on r/DC_Cinematic are vouching for one particular route, and frankly, we couldn’t be more on board with it.

Let’s be honest: The truth about visual effects is that CGI will always eventually look terrible at some point, but there will always be an unshakable charm to any and all practical effects, even if the end result isn’t what you would call perfect. With that said, bringing Clayface into the DCU as a full stop-motion claymation model is about as off-the-chain as it gets, but there’s no denying that a specific breed of endorphin would find its way out of many brains if it did happen.

One responder went the extra distance with such a pitch, and we daresay it’s proof of the internet’s ability to redefine creativity at a moment’s notice.

Given that we’ll probably never see this happen, it’s almost tragic that someone put the thought in our heads in the first place. We trust in Gunn to continue his gleaming track record of delivering on superhero movies, of course, but we doubt even he would be bold enough to go this route, as delightful as it would be.