After months of pre-production hype from DC Studios co-chairman James Gunn and a brief teaser, the first full-length trailer for Clayface has been released online. This latest DC Studios film looks unlike any comic book movie released before, featuring body-horror visuals that don’t look like they belong in the same cinematic universe as Superman. However, when James Gunn and his producing partner Peter Safran took over DC Studios, the duo claimed that their projects would be filmmaker-driven. Now, this first full trailer looks like it will be delivering that promise in a horrific and exciting way, telling the origin story of one famous Batman villain.
The trailer, which can be viewed below, features the character Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries), who, after becoming disfigured following a vicious attack, is given an experimental treatment to save his face. While the treatment seemingly works at first, what soon follows is Hagen becoming something else entirely as he struggles to keep his human form while also wanting vengeance against those who did this to him. Judging from the first trailer, the film seems to be making full use of the concept of Clayface’s powers, with Hagen’s skin and body eerily morphing and melting into itself.
Initially, the film wasn’t part of the original plans that Gunn and his fellow co-chairperson and producing partner, Peter Safran, had for their film slate, which they had titled Gods and Monsters. However, all of that changed when a script written by modern horror master Mike Flanagan was delivered to Gunn. Flanagan has made a name for himself with films like Doctor Sleep and series like Midnight Mass and The Haunting of Hill House. Gunn was so impressed with Flanagan’s script that the movie was quickly greenlit, with a talented production crew and cast assembled. James Watkins, who most recently directed Universal’s remake of Speak No Evil, signed on to direct, and it’s clear that the filmmaker is also bringing his own understanding of the horror genre to the film.
Following the critical and financial failure of Supergirl, DC Studios desperately needs to show that it is still abiding by the creative philosophy that its leadership touted during its initial development. Clayface looks like the perfect film to do that, taking the interconnected universe into a darker and more personal corner than other franchises have done in the past. While other successful DC films, like Matt Reeves’ The Batman or Todd Phillips’ Joker, also featured darker themes and more intense storytelling, those films are touted as being standalone and not part of bigger franchises, given the “Elseworlds” label retroactively.
With Clayface, Gunn and Safran can set a new precedent: filmmakers can play in their sandbox of colorful characters and experiment with different genres to tell a captivating story. All that remains to be seen is whether Clayface will go all in on horror and make a movie that doesn’t just work on its own but also shows audiences that cinematic universes don’t always have to churn out the same kind of movies with every project.
- Release Date
-
October 23, 2026
- Director
-
James Watkins
