Batman: Casting Call

• A woman runs through a hedge maze, panting and avoiding something. She reaches a dead end and the ground trembles as it approaches. Then we see a terrifying, grotesque monster open its jaw and the woman screams. Then a weird pause and we hear a director yell, “CUT! Where is Hagen?” It is revealed that this is actually a fake-out monster on a movie set. Matt Hagen is halting production held up in his trailer. He won’t come out because he’s addicted to the face cream that hides his disfigurement from a different experimental cream. Hagen has run out of the face-molding product because he’s out of money and owes the sketchy chemical dealer, Dagggett. He tries to get the producers to pay him more, but they say no and fire him. 

• In the Batcave, Robin keeps waiting for Batman to go on patrol with him and he wants to go alone but Batman tells him to wait and be patient. Bruce is at Wayne Tower finally taking back control of Wayne Industries from Lucius Fox to help hide his public persona and secret identity. The transfer goes well and Lucius will continue to make tech for the Bat-family. While Dick is waiting in the Batcave, he has a conversation about how he doesn’t think Batman trusts him with Alfred Alfred assures Dick that Bruce very much does trust him and he has seen how he treats master Dick with the upmost respect compared to anyone he has seen in years. Alfred says that in the most simple way possible, Bruce sees Dick as true as family. 

• Hagen is waiting in Daggett’s office at the chemical plant and threatens him with a gun to give him more molding cream for the disfigured face he blames Daggett for anyway. Daggett isn’t phased because Hagen elected to try out the new stuff anyway and says he won’t kill the man whom he is depending on, but since he owes them too much and came to kill Daggett, he orders his men to kill Hagen. The goons grab hold of him and waterboard him with the very cream he was addicted to. After Hagen stops struggling, Daggett orders his goons to dispose of him along with the cream. It’s bad product, Daggett says, too addictive because people get in debt they can’t pay.

• Batman and Robin are on patrol and Robin does a really good job, continuing to impress Batman. They work well together and it’s demonstrated as they take out some low-level threat, Condement King. Robin actually stops Batman from decking him in the face at one point too, citing he is just someone who needs real mental health treatment. Batman compliments him and says he is doing very well and could eventually even grow into being a better Batman than him one day. Robin is bashful and humbled by this.

• Back at the warehouse, Daggett is hanging out and smoking a cigar as he talks with his chemists about what they are working on to get people respectfully hooked, like a new and improved nicotine. The meeting is cut short when one of Daggett’s chemists notices what appears to be a chemical spill leaking from the vent behind him. The spill starts to move weirdly and take a sloppy shape, revealing it is Hagen who is still alive as some sort of creature, barely holding himself together. The chemists and Daggett are shocked as Hagen mologs about his revenge and how they are stupid and greedy just wish they could be as successful as him with his talents before killing them all by suffocating them with his own goo body.

• Robin and Alfred have another good bonding moment in the bat-cave, talking about how Alfred taught Batman to always be prepared and alludes to the fact that many years ago when Alfred worked for the Brittish special forces, he faced foes just as dangerous as those in Gotham and he always came out on top because he was prepared. Batman then enters to grab Robin and says they have a messy situation to deal with. They get in the Batmobile and check out the crime scene of Daggett’s warehouse. Batman collects a sample of the clay but Robin notices something odd. The staggering body of Hagen is nearly at the exit door and he goes to confront Clayface. Clayface tries to leave and pretends that he is a poor, suffering man who was used as a guinea pig. Robin is sympathetic to him and tries to help but Batman tries to be more cautious. Batman was right to be cautious, because Clayface was just acting like a victim and then goes in for an attack on Robin. Batman intervenes and pulls Robin out of his clutches but then Clayface holds his own a little too well against the dynamic duo. The tide turns when Batman throws a batarang to activate a sprinkler system, causing Hagen’s viscosity to lower and lose his control. Hagen himself drips down into a drain and the heroes retreat to the Batcave.

• At the cave, they analyze the clay and find a weird amount of biomass in the clay. Clearly this thing used to be human, but which human? They run a DNA analysis and are shocked to discover that it matches the actor Matt Hagen. Using the computer, they also find that Hagen was just let go from his latest acting gig. The only missing link is the connection Hagen had to Daggett. Robin proposes they’d better go investigate Hagen’s penthouse for clues. They go to stake out Hagen’s place and are there for a very long time. Eventually, the Bat signal even shines in the sky but when Robin asks if Batman’s gonna answer it, Batman says no, this matter is more pressing. Then they see it, the lights flip on in Hagen’s apartment and they go in for a closer look. 

• Batman sneaks in with Robin following but it’s weird, there is nobody around. Robin says he must’ve come and gone quick but Batman isn’t convinced. He picks up a jar of the molding cream that Hagen was using and discovers it has Daggett’s branding on it. Batman uses this as a ploy by saying to Robin he found the connection between the two, then starts saying how Daggett must have used Hagen for the product because he was such a desperate, untalented, unstable, good-for-nothing actor, he had nothing to lose. Batman’s trick to lure out Clayface by upsetting him worked as an oddly placed recliner in Hagen’s living room seems to melt as it’s revealed it was Hagen hiding in plain sight as the duo entered. Hagen goes for a messy attack on the dynamic duo as they dodge and weave but it’s much more dangerous in an enclosed space with Clayface. This is, until Robin is nearly getting drowned by Clayface’s goo and while struggling in the kitchen, he pulls down the toaster and activates it inside Clayface. He shrieks in pain as thos obvious hurt him and Hagen throws Robin at Batman and lurches out the window. Robin tried to go after him but Batman stops him, saying that they will be able to plan ahead for his next move instead of scrapping with him outside again. Batman then picks up his notice of dismissal from his latest movie and predicts Hagen will show up there next, given they have evidence he is a creature of revenge. 

• Robin looks out of the window Hagen just jumped out of and notices the heavy plumes of smoke from a fire in the distance. They duo go to check it out and notice the climax of Batgirl play out form a distance. Batgirl defeats Firefly and Robin wants to go down and help after the explosion but Batman tells him to wait cuz he wants to see how it plays out. Robin also quips how she stole his whole sctick and even he didn’t go around with pointy ears like a bat boy. Batman tells Robin he is pleased with what he’s seeing. Not stepping up to the GCPD, this means she is doing it for the right reasons to Batman.

• Early in the morning, Batman and Robin appear on set for the very same movie that Hagen was fired from. They rehearse the scene again where the animatronic monster is chasing the actress in the maze, this time with Hagen’s replacement. But when his replacement steps in front of the beast, its arm falls off and the crew looks confused and frustrated before it shifts and contorts into Clayface, who starts wreaking havoc on the studio heads. He is trying to kill producers, the director, and his costars. He forms weapons like spikes and hammers from his clay and also starts to grow in mass. Batman and Robin intervene to deal with Clayface and call him out, revealing to all that they know he is Hagen. He owns this fact and then starts monologing again about how he was wronged by the studio and is the greatest talent of our generation. Robin gives a quick jab, insulting his acting ability and this sets Hagen off, becoming even more unhinged and monstrous. Batman and Robin dodge and weave through the mess. Batman tells Robin to help get the others to safety while Batman tries to incapacitate him. At one point, Robin is doing a real good job handling the situation and calmly helping one of his costars through the chaos, but Batman’s fight with Clayface causes some set pieces to shift and almost kill the costar but Robin pulls off a miraculous save. Batman then points out to Robin all of the lighting that is on set, implying Batman’s plan without a word. Robin insults Hagen more, luring him underneath all the hot set lights. The heat causes Clayface to lose control and sludge more slowly. When Hagen is sweltering under the lights, Robin looks up as Batman gives him the signal to move. Robin zips off and Batman cuts the lines, dropping all the high-voltage lights on Clayface, who lets out a brood-curdling monstrous cry. Clayface, as a puddle of mud, lies on the floor moaning. 

• Cut to Batman and Robin supervising a special Arkham unit shoveling Clayface’s goop into a heavy-duty biohazard container. Batman says he isn’t dead as that many volts wouldn’t have even killed a 200-pound man, and there is certainly more of him than that. One of the clean up crew men then asks and what happens if they don’t get all of him, to which Batman responds, “Not an option.” However, just as he says that, a small piece of goo is seen slowly and slyly dripping down off the set and crawling away.

• In the last scene, we are back at the Batcave where Bruce is getting all dressed up to head back to Wayne Industries. Dick gives him crap for having his hands full even more now that he has to keep up appearances. Bruce says he is just doing what is necessary and also expresses to Dick that he feels much better about spending less time on the streets of Gotham knowing that Robin’s hands are more than capable. Alfred opens the door for Bruce’s sports car to leave for his “day job” and Dick’s face wears an affirmed smile.