The Batman‘s version of Clayface was already repeatedly shown to viewers throughout The Penguin, according to one striking theory for the DC universe. The Batman has only introduced a small handful of actual DC supervillains in its run thus far, preferring to largely focus on Gotham’s organized crime factions in order to showcase its version of the city and its underworld. Its few supervillain depictions have been carefully handled, balancing the removal of some comic canon elements with great depth of characterization that makes these figures still distinctive and fascinating takes on the antagonists.

The Batman‘s Joker has scarcely been seen yet, but the universe’s two main supervillains so far – the Riddler and the Penguin – have both been the subject of much audience excitement, even if the conventionally bird-obsessed Oz has yet to be seen near any of the creatures, and Edward’s super-intelligence appears to have been toned down to make for a more realistic figure. However, based on one theory, an even subtler adaptation of Clayface may have been set up here, which is all the more interesting with the story of The Batman – Part II on the horizon.

The Penguin’s Ending Makes 1 Character A Viable Clayface Candidate For The Batman

The Penguin Episode 8 Made A Villain Theory Look Even More Convincing

The Penguin‘s ending closes with Oz having reached some of the heights of power he always dreamed of, and having betrayed basically everyone he was ever close with – killing off Vic out of a fear their bond would make him weak, and refusing to end his unresponsive mother’s life despite promising her episodes before that he would honor her wishes to do so should her health deteriorate to this point. In a dark final moment, he dances with Eve Karlo, notably dressed up to look like a young version of his mother, before the Bat-Signal shines in the sky.

While Oz is obviously the focus of the scene, Eve Karlo’s transformation into taking on the look and role of his mother is hard to ignore – mainly for the Freudian implications it immediately carries, further cementing the questionable nature of the villain’s relationship with the woman who brought him into the world. Interestingly, this also serves to cements one theory about Eve Karlo, suggesting that she shares a namesake with Basil Karlo – the first Clayface in the comics, and the main version of the character – for a good reason.

Not only does Eve “take on” the form of Francis, but it’s also suggested this isn’t her only time doing something like this. In The Penguin episode 6, Sofia visits Eve and discovers a range of costumes, wigs and aliases she has – and she notably responds to Sofia’s question: “dressing like this, is it for you or your clients?” with the answer of “depends on the situation.” With an ability to appear as the exact person others want being Eve’s biggest strength – as Sofia cleverly points out when Eve starts doing the same with her – a clear Clayface parallel emerges.

Why Eve Karlo Would Be Perfect For The Batman’s Clayface

Eve Karlo Could Be The Perfect Way To Make Clayface Work In The World Of The Batman

This backdrop would make Eve Karlo in many ways the ideal version of Clayface for The Batman‘s world. By taking something that’d be hard to translate into the universe – namely, a temperamental shapeshifting person who appears to be made of clay when they take their “true” form – and making it work within the parameters of a more realistic story, The Batman could continue the formula that has worked with its supervillains thus far, taking the aspects it can use in the franchise and drilling into them while leaving behind the more fantastical parts of their comic lore.

Even the concept of an actor turned serial killer might feel a little theatrical for The Batman‘s universe, whereas Eve’s own profession feels more in line with it, and ties her to the Penguin in a way that would be easy to capitalize on in the future of the franchise. Given where The Penguin leaves off, it’d be surprising to not at least hear references to Eve as the universe’s story continues to unfold in later releases.

Sofia reveals to Eve in The Penguin that Oz ignored Carmine Falcone killing off people she was close with, and who she still mourns. As such, while the show’s ending has Eve going along with his wishes, it’d be entirely possible for her to use her uncanny knack to seemingly impersonate others to sabotage him, or to otherwise add more intricacies to Gotham’s underworld and its dealings. Since the show ends with Oz making a bid to be involved in the city’s government dealings, it’s easy to see how Eve’s arc could be a crucial cornerstone for The Batman – Part II or other related stories.

Eve Karlo Being The Batman’s Clayface Would Erase The Main Argument Against The Villain Appearing In The Universe

Clayface Being Too Unrealistic For The Batman Wouldn’t Apply If Eve Karlo Was The Universe’s Version Of The Villain

One of the key arguments against Clayface ever appearing in the world of The Batman is that the character has appeared nigh impossible to adapt into a realistic lens – which may explain why the villain was entirely absent from Nolan’s similarly gritty The Dark Knight trilogy. However, Eve Karlo would make for just about the most grounded possible take on the villain, and one that would be able to stay true to Clayface even as major adjustments are made by being able to explore a lot of interesting ideas about someone whose life revolves around assuming other identities.

Ultimately, the universe of The Batman already hinges on this idea. The muddy margins between Bruce Wayne and Batman have already been explored in the movie, and The Penguin displays the way in which Oz’s obsession with becoming someone like Rex Calabrese plays into his descent into villainy, while giving Sofia her own warped version of this journey via her being framed for The Hangman killings. As such, letting another character add more texture and layers to this theme would likely only help the franchise grow even stronger yet again.