“Clayface”: What We Know So Far About the DC Universe's First-Ever Horror Movie

The shape-shifting supervillain is starring in his own body horror movie, hitting theaters in October 2026

NEED TO KNOW

• Clayface is an upcoming body horror movie starring the iconic Batman villain
• The character was first introduced in Detective Comics in 1940
• Clayface stars Tom Rhys Harries, Naomi Ackie, Max Minghella and more

Clayface is bringing the body horror to Gotham City.

The shape-shifting Batman villain was first introduced in Detective Comics in 1940, and nearly 90 years later, he is finally starring in his own movie.

Decades after his debut, Clayface became one of the members of Batman's Rogues Gallery, or the list of the famous protagonist's recurring villains, thanks to being featured in Batman: The Animated Series in the '90s. In recent years, the character has appeared in the animated series Creature Commandos and Harley Quinn.

"Clayface might not be as widely known as The Penguin or The Joker, but we really feel that his story is equally resonant, compelling, and in many ways, more terrifying than one of those," DC Studios co-chief Peter Safran said in a February 2025 presentation, per IGN.

Here's everything to know about Clayface, including who is playing the villain and when the horror movie will be hitting theaters.

What is Clayface about?

The plot of Clayface focuses on struggling actor Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries), whose face is disfigured after a knife attack.

Desperate to restore his beauty, the actor resorts to a scientist, played by Naomi Ackie, who performs an experimental procedure that transforms Matt's body into the shape-shifting monster.

Clayface is an iconic Batman villain, but it has not been confirmed if the Dark Knight himself will appear in the upcoming movie. Whether or not the masked superhero swings in, DCU co-chiefs James Gunn and Safran have said Clayface is not part of Matt Reeves' Batman Epic Crime Saga.

"Clayface is totally DCU," Gunn said at a DC Studios presentation, per IGN.

"The only thing that's in Matt's world, his Crime Saga that he's telling, is the Batman Trilogy, the Penguin series, that's in that lane," explained Safran. "So still under DC Studios, still under us. We have an incredible relationship with Matt, but those are the only things."

He added, "It was important that Clayface be part of the DCU. It's an origin story for a classic Batman villain that we want to have in our world."

Who is in the cast of Clayface?

Harries stars as actor Matt Hagen, who becomes Clayface. Ackie costars as the doctor responsible for Matt's transformation.

Other members of the cast include Max Minghella, who plays a Gotham City detective, and Eddie Marsan and David Dencik.

Who is directing Clayface?

Clayface is being directed by James Watkins, a filmmaker known for helming other terrifying titles, including Eden Lake, The Woman in Black and Speak No Evil.

The script for Clayface was co-written by Mike Flanagan, the horror auteur behind The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, Midnight Mass and other paranormal projects — including the upcoming Exorcist movie starring Scarlett Johansson, per Deadline.

"We had no plans making a Clayface movie," Gunn said at a press event in February 2025, per The Hollywood Reporter, before adding that production moved forward after Flanagan "turned in a script and it’s one of the best scripts that we’ve read."

Is there a trailer for Clayface?

Yes, a teaser trailer for Clayface was released on April 22.

The minute-long preview confirms that the upcoming movie is not a typical supervillain origin story, but is a "complete horror film," as Gunn teased in a July 2025 CBS Mornings interview.

In the clip, Clayface is lying in a hospital bed with his face heavily bandaged. In flashbacks, we see Matt as a regular man before flashing toward scenes in which his face is morphed until, finally, we see him wipe away his face entirely in the shower.

When will Clayface be released?

Clayface will be released in theaters on Oct. 23, 2026.

Read the full article here