At a time when horror films are enjoying great success, both at the box office and at film awards, DC Studios is making a comeback with its first comic-book movie that truly embraces the horror genre: the first trailer for Clayface has been released, and this Batman spin-off looks truly terrifying.
Bringing visceral horror to James Gunn and Peter Safran’s revamped DC universe, the Clayface trailer offers us a first look at Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen: in this version of the story, set in the DCU, Matt is an actor who is disfigured after a horrific attack, leading him to an unconventional scientist. The solution to help him seems to work at first, before Hagen slowly begins to transform into… clay.
The Clayface trailer shows a new Gotham City in the DC universe, where Hagen is hospitalized and bandaged, his bloodied right eye staring straight into the camera. Accompanied by the eerie soundtrack of “Do You Realize??” by the Flaming Lips, the teaser features quick flashbacks of Hagen’s glamorous life as a movie star, the life-changing attack, and a few brief moments of experimentation, which almost certainly explain how Hagen transforms into the shape-shifting Clayface.
In terms of tone, this film is already a world apart from its “cousins” in the DC universe, Superman and Supergirl, and it might be the closest thing to pure horror ever seen in superhero cinema (it’s probably best to leave the kids at home this time—perhaps even more so than with Joker). The trailer also features a few shots of Hagen’s girlfriend, Dr. Caitlyn Corr (Naomi Ackie), including one in a colorful tunnel with an amusement park advertisement on the wall. There’s also a brief scene featuring the unnamed character played by Eddie Marsan, who could be one of Hagen’s secret identities. There’s no sign of Batman, of course (nor of any other related DC characters), but there are plenty of clues as to what Clayface’s unique powers will be like in the DC universe, with unsettling shots of Hagen’s skin melting like wax and dripping over his eyes and mouth.
However, in the final shot, a more confident-looking Hagen appears capable of manipulating his features at will, even going so far as to transform his arm into a deadly mace…
Several prominent figures from the horror film genre are involved in the upcoming DC movie, including Mike Flanagan, director of The Haunting of Hill House, who wrote the screenplay. Joining him is James Watkins, director of Speak No Evil, who directed the origin story of Batman’s villain. In addition to Rhys Harries in the lead role, the cast also includes Naomi Ackie, a Star Wars actress, and Max Minghella, star of The Handmaid’s Tale.
Clayface, coming in October, won’t be the only DCU film released this year, as Supergirl is set for June. Meanwhile, filming has already begun on James Gunn’s Superman: Man of Tomorrow, which is scheduled for release on July 9, 2027.
