Sorry, 'Creature Commandos,' but Alan Tudyk Already Voiced the Best Version of Clayface

Alan Tudyk has certainly had a career many would be proud of, performing iconic roles such as K-2SO in Star Wars: Rogue One, Sonny in I, Robot, and most recently voicing Clayface, as well as Dr. Phosphorus, in James Gunn's first fictional project in the new D.C.U., Creature Commandos. However, whilst the version of Clayface in Creature Commandos was certainly a terrifying version of the character, making him the murderous monster we have seen him mostly portrayed as in the comics, it isn’t the best version we have seen put on screen. That came in Harley Quinn, where Tudyk voiced a comedic version of the character alongside performing as The Joker and numerous minor characters throughout the show's now 5-season run.

This R-rated animated show gave nearly all DC characters a fresh and entertaining interpretation, and Clayface is no different. As someone who still views his main passion as acting rather than crime, despite being a part of Harley Quinn's (Kaley Cuoco) gang, he provides some of the best laughs of the entire series. This isn't to say the Clayface in Creature Commandos is bad, but the agency given to him in Harley Quinn makes him infinitely more engaging and interesting.

'Harley Quinn's Clayface Is an Actor Through and Through

Rather than an evil, murderous monster, as we see in Creature Commandos and most interpretations of the character, Harley Quinn's Clayface is a classically trained actor who sees himself as a shapeshifter in mind and body, embodying every role, with each being the one he was born to play. Not only does this make the version of Clayface we see more unique, but it is impressive how it is still technically faithful to the origin of actor Basil Karlo. In the comics, Karlo was an unsuccessful actor who becomes a serial killer, with the Clayface powers being a later addition to the character (both aspects were explored in Batman: Caped Crusader). However, making him more comedic than dark makes him a far more engaging character, not just because he is funny, but because every aspect of the character feeds into who he is. He sees himself as a true actor in every way; he's still irrational, but in a far more interesting way.

Furthermore, by making it comedic, there is more to do with the character than simply showing him choosing a target and becoming them, as he does in Creature Commandos. In fact, Harley Quinn uses Clayface's abilities mostly to have him make a comedic point. One of the funniest moments of the series is when he turns into a young woman named Stephanie in the episode "Riddle U," and does his best to act like a fun-loving co-ed, which is made all the funnier as his voice never changes from its male, over the top, bravado.

Clayface's Obsession With Becoming a Star Gives Him Hilarious Sub-Plots in 'Harley Quinn'

The most obvious difference between most versions of Clayface and the one we see in Harley Quinn is the level of importance he is given. In Creature Commandos and the video game, Batman: Arkham City, he is merely a henchman to the larger villain, Princess Ilana (Maria Bakalova) and The Joker (Mark Hamill) respectively, and dealt with very quickly by Rick Flrag Sr. (Frank Grillo) with Frankenstein's help (David Harbour). In Harley Quinn, by contrast, Clayface is given far more agency, as he is always looking for his next big role. This is best summed up in one moment when he transforms into a chair so he can talk to James Gunn in Season 3 and work on his next film, which he technically gets to do, as Gunn's director's chair.

There is nothing necessarily wrong about the Creature Commandos version of Clayface. The fight between him, Rick Flag Sr., and Frankenstein was a scary, thrilling action scene, and he certainly felt like a threat to the two other men. However, it could be seen as a similarly limited interpretation of the character compared to previous versions — especially compared to Tudyk's Clayface in Harley Quinn. He is not only unique to the other iterations, but he is still Clayface/Basil Karlo at his core. There is not only more for his character to do, but a greater range provided by the writing and executed brilliantly by Tudyk. In other words, it's a fabulous actor playing a fabulous actor.

Harley Quinn Season 5 airs on Max on January 16 in the U.S.

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