Published: April 27, 2026
DC Studios will release its third movie in the DCU this fall, Clayface. Clayface is a Batman villain who originally debuted in Detective Comics back in 1940. Batman’s rogues’ gallery is rich with such amazingly tortured villains that I think many would make great individual films. Unlike what Sony did with their Spider-Man spin-off villain movies, where the characters were all turned into anti-heroes, it’s great to see that DC is embracing the darker villains and telling their stories as they did with Joker in 2019, and now with Clayface.
DC Studios Co-CEO calls Clayface “A complete horror film,” marking new territory for the studio and comic book adaptations.
Tom Rhys Harries stars as Matt Hagen, a struggling actor whose face is disfigured by a gangster. Desperate, he undergoes an experimental treatment that transforms him into a shapeshifting, clay-like monster, exploring themes of lost identity, revenge, and scientific ambition. I think the casting choice of Tom Rhys Harries is one of the most exciting aspects, as he’s a lesser-known actor who can melt into the role. He also has the perfect look of a stereotypical, good-looking actor, with really great, almost clay-looking skin.
The trailer, which was first released last week at CinemaCon, achieves a tone that is both comic-booky and larger-than-life, yet utterly grotesque and horrifying, all while doing so on a low budget. We’re gonna be seeing lots of body horror, lots of melting faces, and overall yuckiness. The film comes to us from iconic horror writer, Mike Flanagan, who has said the story is based on the “Feat of Clay” episode of Batman: The Animated Series. And for all these reasons I’m very excited to see DC Studios Clayface, only in theaters, October 23rd, 2026.
