DC Studios has unveiled a first look at Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen in Clayface, turning the spotlight on the man behind the monster. The buzz surrounding the DCU film hit new highs after the trailer debuted at CinemaCon, but now the public rollout has begun, with the release of the first official image, building anticipation for the trailer drop, which is expected to land this week. The photo sets up the origin story of Batman’s shape-shifting adversary, offering a glimpse of the character before his horrific transformation.
The image, shared on the Instagram accounts for DC and the DCU’s Clayface movie, depicts Harries in his role as actor Matt Hagen on the cover of a glossy in-universe celebrity magazine that establishes him as a “rising star.” The close-up teases Hagen’s public persona before his transformation into the eponymous villain, with the caption promising that it is “a face you won’t forget.” That face will, of course, drastically change, as Hagen’s life takes a dark turn when his face is disfigured in a brutal attack. He undergoes an experimental treatment using a mysterious substance, but the procedure backfires, turning his entire body into clay.
Hagen’s transformation into Clayface has varied significantly across DC media, though the consistent thread between all the iterations is that he ends up turning into a malleable, clay substance, hence the name of his monstrous alter-ego. The upcoming portrayal is expected to feature a heavy emphasis on body horror as the trailer and set images have depicted Hagen in hospital, sporting a bloody and bandaged face. The most recent footage also featured an unsettling face-melting visual of Hagen wiping away his face, leaving a featureless mess of clay-like flesh – a far cry from his preened and polished look on the magazine cover.
Directed by James Watkins from a script by horror maestro Mike Flanagan alongside Hossein Amini, Clayface draws its inspiration from the iconic two-part “Feat of Clay” episode from Batman: The Animated Series. However, it looks to be leaning into the R-rated body-horror aspects of the storyline. The film will serve as the third major theatrical release in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DCU, aligning with the “monsters” part of Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, following the heroic efforts of Superman and Supergirl – the latter of which is slated to hit theaters on Jun. 26, 2026, starring Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El following her critiqued cameo.
Clayface is scheduled to begin its theatrical rollout on Oct. 23, 2026, positioning it as a major Halloween horror event. The film will introduce Batman’s adversary to the Gotham City that will eventually become the stomping ground of the DCU’s version of the Caped Crusader in The Brave and the Bold. The film won’t debut until at least 2028, following Gunn’s commitment that DC will not release two Batman-centric movies in the same year. With The Batman Part II officially set for Oct. 1, 2027, The Brave and the Bold is expected to arrive on the big screen some time later to avoid fatigue and give both projects some breathing room.
- Release Date
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October 23, 2026
- Director
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James Watkins
