While we all anxiously await the arrival of Batman in the DCU, a new theory suggests that his faithful sidekick, Robin, may be appearing sooner than expected. The DCU is rewriting the popular stories of DC Comics for the big and small screens, but it is still in the very early stages.

After the release of Superman, the DCU’s premiere feature film, the lineup is expected to surge with two more major releases in 2026, and several more planned for the following years. However, despite Batman’s debut being expected to come in the delayed The Brave and the Bold project, his sidekick could arrive sooner.

And thanks to recent set pH๏τos from the upcoming Clayface film, it could lay the foundation for how one of Bruce Wayne’s oldest and dearest allies appears in the DCU. However, whether or not the character will also make an appearance in the project remains to be seen.

We Already Know The Flying Graysons Exist & Should Be In Gotham In Clayface

Clayface, which is due to be released in 2026, is set in the fictional city of Gotham. Gotham is best known for being the home of Batman, and the colorful characters who populate his stories in DC Comics. And thanks to pictures from the set of Clayface, we know that a poster advertising ‘The Flying Graysons’ is present.

This is the name of the circus act that Dick Grayson and his family were involved in, and the one which resulted in young Dick losing his family in a tragic incident. However, the cause of this incident has been adjusted slightly in previous iterations, such as 1995’s Batman Forever, where Two-Face is shown to be behind their deaths.

With their presence confirmed in the world of Gotham that appears in the DCU, it makes sense that the Grayson family could appear in a brief cameo. However, it is entirely possible that this small snippet could hint at them playing a bigger role in the story of Clayface.

Clayface’s Story Would Perfectly Justify Him Creating Robin

The DCU is being set up as one large, connected universe. And with that, the character of Clayface has already made his first appearance in James Gunn’s Creature Commandos. However, it appears that the Clayface movie will take the story back in time to the origin of this criminal.

Despite there only being a few widely released details about the story, we do know that this version of Clayface, aka Matt Hagen, is a star of considerable influence with an equally sizable ego. However, after an incident which leaves him scarred, he goes on to become transformed into something that is barely human.

With this kind of backstory leaving the character open to fits of rage, jealousy, and extreme violence, we could see Clayface become the individual who is behind the death of Dick Grayson’s family in the DCU. And by all accounts, this would provide deeper connections between the characters that exist in this shared world.

After becoming a monster who has to hide from the spotlight, Hagen could see the poster for The Flying Graysons, become enraged and jealous of their celebrity status, and sabotage their performance. Which would in turn result in a personal connection between this villain, and the DCU’s version of Batman.

Tying Clayface & Robin’s Origin Stories Together In The DCU Would Make Perfect Sense

As far as Batman is concerned, there is very little known about who will be playing the character in the DCU. However, The Brave and the Bold is a Batman story which follows a more seasoned version of the hero, who will be working alongside his son, Damian Wayne. But Damian is by no means Batman’s first sidekick.

In the comics, Bruce Wayne has recruited and cared for several lost young men, such as Dick Grayson, after seeing some commonality in their frustrations at Gotham and a desire to change the corruption that exists there. Like Dick, Bruce lost his parents as a boy, and the man responsible was a violent criminal.

This shared connection between the characters, Bruce and Dick, leads to the pair becoming a powerful force for good, cleaning up the streets of Gotham, and bringing the criminals to justice. So it almost feels like a necessity to have a character like Clayface come in and set these events in motion for Dick Grayson to become Robin.

Of course, with Clayface appearing in a contemporary DCU project like Creature Commandos, it shows that he evaded any long-term consequences for his actions, but with Dick Grayson also set to appear in the 2028 DCU project, The Dynamic Duo, making the character a larger part of the narrative opens the door for further connected stories.

There are likely to be many moments and characters that crossover into various stories throughout the DCU, such as Rick Flagg Sr. having appeared in Creature Commandos, Superman, and Peacemaker season 2, so it is perfectly reasonable to ᴀssume that a villain like Clayface could play a larger role beyond being a minor Batman villain.