Warner Bros. Released the first trailer for “Clayface” on April 22, 2025, revealing a body horror origin story for the Batman villain set to premiere in theaters on October 23, 2025.
The film centers on Matt Hagen, portrayed by Tom Rhys Harries, a struggling actor whose face is disfigured in a knife attack before undergoing an experimental procedure that transforms him into a shape-shifting entity of living clay. Naomi Ackie co-stars as Dr. Caitlin Bates, a scientist whose methods draw comparisons to controversial figures like Elizabeth Holmes of Theranos.
Directed by James Watkins, known for horror films like “The Woman in Black,” the movie aligns with James Gunn’s broader strategy to integrate genre storytelling into the DC Universe, following the horror-tinged animated series “Creature Commandos.” Gunn launched the DCU with 2024’s “Superman,” with “Supergirl” arriving June 26, 2026, and “Superman: Legacy” sequel “Man of Tomorrow” scheduled for July 9, 2027.
The trailer, first shown to theater owners at CinemaCon, opens with Hagen in a hospital bed, bandaged and bloodied, before depicting his transformation through rapid, unsettling visuals — including scenes where his face lacks eyes or a mouth, and a final moment where he wipes his entire face away in a bathtub. His hand morphs into a mace-like weapon, emphasizing the physical horror of his powers.
This portrayal draws more from Hagen’s depiction in “Batman: The Animated Series” than from his original comic book roots as a treasure hunter exposed to radioactive protoplasm. In the animated series, Hagen’s disfigurement leads him to scientist Roland Daggett, who administers the experimental cream Renuyu — a narrative the film appears to adapt, replacing Daggett with Bates.
For more on this story, see DC’s Clayface Movie: First Footage Reveals Chilling Horror Thriller Details.
Observers have noted visual parallels in the trailer to the origin of another Batman villain, the Creeper, particularly a brief flash of a computer screen and X-ray imagery around the 20-second mark, suggesting possible nods to nanotechnology or scientific experimentation beyond simple chemical transformation.
The film’s placement in the DCU raises questions about Batman’s absence, as Gotham-based stories without the Dark Knight have struggled in recent adaptations, though Gunn’s approach may allow for standalone villain origin stories to build narrative depth before the hero’s return.
Matt Reeves’ “The Batman: Part II” is set for October 1, 2027, meaning “Clayface” will arrive nearly two years before the next major Batman film, positioning it as an early test of whether the DCU can sustain audience interest in Gotham-adjacent stories without the central hero.
Why did the filmmakers choose Matt Hagen over other versions of Clayface?
The filmmakers selected Matt Hagen because his portrayal in “Batman: The Animated Series” reimagined him as a disfigured actor turned to science for a solution — a narrative that aligns with the body horror tone and themes of identity loss central to the film’s story.
Is Batman expected to appear in the “Clayface” movie?
No official confirmation indicates Batman will appear in “Clayface,” and the film’s focus on Hagen’s origin suggests it operates as a standalone villain story within the DCU, similar to how Joker-origin tales have functioned apart from the Dark Knight.
