DC Studios is stepping into darker territory with “Clayface,” a horror thriller that looks poised to reimagine one of Gotham’s most tragic villains through the lens of body horror. Directed by James Watkins, the film stars Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen, alongside Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella, and Eddie Marsan. With a screenplay by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, and a story by Flanagan, Clayface appears ready to mark a bold genre swing for DC Studios.
Described as the studio’s first true foray into horror, “Clayface” centers on Hagen, an up and coming Hollywood actor whose life takes a horrific turn after his face is disfigured. Desperate to reclaim both his career and his identity, he turns to a scientist, played by Ackie, who transforms his body into clay. What begins as a last resort soon spirals into something far more disturbing, as Hagen’s search for restoration gives way to revenge, monstrosity, and the unraveling of his humanity.
That premise alone signals that “Clayface” is not simply aiming to be another comic book villain origin story. Instead, it seems to lean fully into the tragic and grotesque potential of the character. The film’s official description promises a story about the loss of identity and humanity, corrosive love, and the dark underbelly of scientific ambition. Those themes place “Clayface” firmly in body horror territory, where physical transformation becomes inseparable from emotional and psychological collapse.
Harries takes on the role of Matt Hagen, a version of “Clayface” who has long been associated with performance, vanity, and the fear of becoming unrecognizable. Ackie plays Dr. Caitlin Bates, described as a fringe scientist and Hagen’s love interest, a character reportedly likened to Elizabeth Holmes. Max Minghella plays a Gotham City police detective who is dating Bates, adding another layer of tension to what already sounds like a volatile relationship triangle. Eddie Marsan, David Dencik, Nancy Carroll, and Joshua James round out the cast in currently undisclosed roles.
In the trailer, played against The Flamings Lips’ Do You Realize??, we see Matt, the central character in question bloodied and bandaged up around the face. Flashes of a young hotshot actor walking the red carpet with camera flashes signifies the character’s meteoric rise. However that all comes crashing down when there are other clips of people pinning him down and another person slicing his face. And in Hollywood, a face is everything.
Quick shots of serums being injected reveal that he had undergone a procedure of some sort that would give him that look. But another shot shows a reflection of himself on a rainy window where his face seems to be melting. Another shot is seen oof Ackie’s Dr. Caitlin Bates walking through an ominous green lit circus Other clips include a shadow of an arm morphing into a giant mace – presumably its Clayface. All of that culminates to a shot of a bathtub and a slow reveal of Matt and the screen flashing him without a face.
The road to Clayface has been years in the making. In January 2021, Mike Flanagan publicly shared his interest in making a standalone film centered on the character. A longtime fan of “Feat of Clay,” the acclaimed two part episode from Batman: The Animated Series, Flanagan envisioned the project as a horror film, a thriller, and a tragedy all at once. Although he ultimately could not direct the film because of other commitments, including his upcoming Exorcist film and Carrie miniseries, that vision appears to remain intact under Watkins.
Produced by Matt Reeves and Lynn Harris alongside DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran, Clayface looks like a project that could expand what audiences expect from DC on screen. Rather than chasing spectacle alone, it appears to be embracing something more intimate, unsettling, and character driven. If the film delivers on its premise, “Clayface” could become one of DC’s most unexpected and haunting adaptations yet.
“Clayface” is scheduled to open in theaters on October 23, 2026.
