Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Peacemaker season 2, episode 4The DCU is already setting up its upcoming R-rated Batman spinoff. Following the release of Superman in 2025, 2026 will see the release of Supergirl and Clayface from DC Studios, both of which will be set in the new DCU canon. However, the newest DCU release may help set up Clayface in some exciting ways.

Peacemaker season 2 has been revealing Chris Smith’s misadventures, having discovered a parallel dimension where he’s seen as a beloved hero with everything he’s ever wanted. That said, Peacemaker’s also being targeted by ARGUS, now run by Rick Flag Sr. Following Peacemaker season 2, episode 4, the current DCU show may help set up 2026’s Clayface.

Peacemaker Season 2 Just Saw Rick Flag Referencing His Back Injury (From Clayface)

When Frank Grillo’s Rick Flag Sr. meets with Emila Harcourt to request her help to bring in Peacemaker, a previous injury is mentioned where Flag recently had his back broken.

This occurred in 2024’s animated Creature Commandos series. In the first official DCU project, Rick Flag and David Harbour’s Eric Frankenstein uncover a hidden plot involving the nation of Pokolistan. This results in an encounter with Matt Hagen’s Clayface, the classic Batman villain who will soon be getting his own live-action movie in 2026.

Although Clayface was electrocuted with pieces of his monstrous and clay-like body exploding everywhere, it wasn’t before he broke Rick Flag’s back over his knee, not unlike the classic moment from DC Comics where Bane did the same thing to Batman.

It’s fun to see the interconnectivity of the DCU on display across live-action and animated projects, though it’s also possible that Peacemaker season 2 could also be setting up bigger things to come as the series continues.

2026’s Clayface Will Reveal Matt Hagen’s DCU Origins (But What About His Present?)

Currently, we know that the upcoming Clayface movie will cover Matt Hagen’s origins, a struggling actor who gets his face disfigured, resulting in his decision to take an experimental drug that transforms his body into a clay-like substance, allowing him to take multiple forms and shapeshift.

However, we still don’t know Clayface’s current DCU status in the present, other than that bits of him were discovered by ARGUS’ John Economos and Amanda Waller by the end of Creature Commandos. Based on the comics, we know that Clayface can reconsтιтute his unique body structure, making him incredibly hard to kill.

As such, Clayface is more than likely in the custody of ARGUS during the events of Peacemaker season 2. This could lead to a couple of exciting outcomes, the first being that we might get a Clayface cameo before the season’s end, teeing up the character even further ahead of his full-feature movie.

It’s also possible that the upcoming Clayface movie itself could feature Matt Hagen in ARGUS custody in the present, with his origins intercut from the DCU’s past. Either way, it will be very exciting if Clayface continues to be teased as the DCU gets closer to the upcoming body horror movies releasing next year.

New episodes of Peacemaker season 2 release Thursdays on HBO Max. Clayface is set to release on September 11, 2026.