MOVIE NEWS – The DCU is moving into much darker territory, because Clayface is not trying to be just another comic book film. It is positioning itself as the franchise’s first genuine horror movie. After being shown at CinemaCon, Warner Bros. finally released the first teaser trailer on April 22, making it official that James Gunn’s new DC Universe is willing to go into bloodier, stranger, body-horror territory than most people expected.
Clayface was not part of Gunn’s original Gods and Monsters slate announced in January 2023, but it has now become the third theatrical DCU feature after Superman and Supergirl. That also means it will beat Swamp Thing to the punch as the universe’s first horror film. Many fans remain skeptical that the third movie in a shared cinematic universe is centered on a lesser-known Batman villain before Batman himself has even received a proper solo film in the new continuity. Others are questioning the choice to devote one of the DCU’s earliest major releases to a mid-budget, R-rated body horror feature instead of another giant superhero spectacle. But that kind of creative gamble may be exactly what helps the DCU stand apart from the safer rhythm that has come to define the Marvel machine for a lot of viewers.
The film is currently set for release in U.S. theaters on October 23, 2026, with its Hungarian theatrical date listed as October 22, 2026. It had originally been set for September 11 before being pushed back, clearly to take better advantage of the Halloween corridor. Tom Rhys Harries has been cast as Matt Hagen, the DCU’s version of Clayface. Naomi Ackie will play Dr. Caitlin Bates, Max Minghella will portray a Gotham detective, and the supporting cast also includes Eddie Marsan, Nancy Carroll, David Dencik, and Joshua James in still-undisclosed roles. Audiences should not expect Batman to appear, however, since James Gunn has already made it clear that no actor will be cast as the DCU’s Batman until The Brave and the Bold script is ready.
Mike Flanagan Started the Idea, but James Watkins Is the One Bringing the Nightmare to the Screen
The creative path behind Clayface is almost as interesting as the movie itself. The project originally began as a pitch from Mike Flanagan, who had openly talked for years about wanting to make a film around the character. That idea eventually reached James Gunn, who had not originally intended to make a Clayface movie at all, but was apparently won over by Flanagan’s take. Flanagan wrote the story foundation and screenplay material, Hossein Amini later came in for a writing pass, and the directing job ultimately went to James Watkins, whose horror credentials already include Eden Lake, The Woman in Black, and Speak No Evil.
The plot centers on Matt Hagen, an up-and-coming actor whose face is disfigured by a Gotham gangster. As a last resort, he turns to Dr. Caitlin Bates for a cure, but the treatment becomes a catastrophe and transforms his body into living clay. The movie is therefore blending elements from multiple comic book versions of Clayface, combining the actor-based origin of Basil Karlo with the name Matt Hagen and turning that mixture into something more overtly tragic and monstrous. By all indications, one of the strongest inspirations is the celebrated two-part Batman: The Animated Series story Feat of Clay, which remains one of the best Clayface adaptations ever made.
Chronologically, Clayface is expected to be the earliest film in the DCU timeline, meaning it takes place before the events of Superman and even before Creature Commandos. James Gunn has also confirmed that the Clayface featured here is the same one referenced in Creature Commandos, which means the movie is not some disconnected side experiment. At the same time, Gunn has emphasized that Clayface is designed to work as a standalone story and is not mainly interested in setting up the next wave of DCU films. In other words, this is meant to be an R-rated horror feature that just happens to exist inside a superhero universe. And that may be exactly why it feels far more interesting than a safer studio play.
Source: MovieWeb
