‘Clayface’ Runtime Confirmed, Promises a Non-Stop Nightmare From James Gunn’s DCU

When James Gunn and Peter Safran took the reins of DC Studios, they promised a sweeping, interconnected universe built on distinct creative visions. This new era officially kicked off with its Chapter One: Gods and Monsters slate, which launched with the animated television series Creature Commandos, followed by the global release of 2025’s Superman and 2026’s Supergirl. With these first two blockbusters firmly established, the new DCU is shifting gears away from high-flying heroes and cosmic battles toward a gritty, ground-level nightmare. Operating as a pure body-horror origin story, Clayface dives deep into the tragedy of rising star Matt Hagen, resetting the franchise timeline by taking place chronologically before any other entry.

The third DCU movie centers on Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries), a rising Hollywood star whose life is shattered when a brutal attack leaves him horribly disfigured, forcing him to turn to experimental treatments in a bid to reclaim his identity and career. However, the miracle cure backfires, transforming his flesh into a grotesque, malleable living clay while violently eroding his sanity, triggering a vengeful rampage through Gotham City. The trailers for Clayface have leaned heavily into the actor’s stomach-churning transformation, teasing a dark character study closely inspired by classic body horror cinema, leaving anticipation at an all-time high regarding just how long audiences will be forced to endure the unrelenting nightmare.

According to a newly updated listing from AMC Theatres, Clayface clocks in at a remarkably tight 1 hour and 48 minutes (108 minutes total). This lean runtime marks a dramatic shift for DC Studios, which is opting for a briskly paced nightmare rather than the sprawling lengths typical of modern comic book fare. When stacked against the rest of the burgeoning DCU slate, the movie draws a surprising parallel by sharing the exact same 108-minute runtime as Supergirl, while trimming a sizable 21 minutes off Superman‘s theatrical length. The sub-two-hour duration of Clayface positions the film alongside contemporary horror pacing, mirroring recent box office genre hits such as Obsession (109 minutes) and Backrooms (105 minutes). By prioritizing a similarly relentless, tightly wound narrative over a bloated superhero runtime, director James Watkins is ensuring that the story wastes no time in descending into the horror of Hagen’s transformation.

Watkins directs Clayface from a script co-written by horror maestro Mike Flanagan (Doctor Sleep) and Hossein Amini (Drive), bringing strong creative pedigree to the dark comic book adaptation. Reported producers include Gunn, Peter Safran, Lynn Harris, and Matt Reeves (The Batman), who, together with the rest of the team, have tailored this project as the DCU’s inaugural R-rated theatrical horror film. Audiences looking to experience the tragedy of Matt Hagen won’t have to wait long to see the full vision unfold, as Clayface is officially scheduled for release in cinemas and IMAX on Oct. 23, 2026, bringing the franchise’s 2026 slate to an end before transitioning into its next wave of streaming and theatrical projects in the new year.

Release Date

October 23, 2026

Director

James Watkins