The first trailer for the Clayface movie is here, and it’s taking a risk that DC Comics has historically avoided.
I just finished watching this movie, and it’s seriously intense! It stars Tom Rhys-Harries as Matt Hagen, a really promising actor who gets attacked and badly scarred, which throws his whole career into doubt. Desperate to get his looks back and save his Hollywood dreams, he tries this experimental treatment… and let me tell you, it doesn’t go well at all. It’s cool because the character is a mix of two different versions of the classic villain Clayface – the original guy, Basil Karlo, and the one who came after him, Matt Hagen. It’s a really interesting take on the character!
Clayface is the third film in James Gunn’s DC Universe, and it’s taking a different approach than the upcoming Superman and Supergirl movies. Unlike those films, which center on heroes, Clayface will focus on a villain, much like the 2019 movie Joker.
That’s already a daring decision, given how new the DCU is, but Clayface appears to be taking things even further, according to the initial trailer.
The DCU’s Clayface trailer confirms it is a body horror movie
The new trailer for The Clayface movie makes it clear that it’s prioritizing genuinely frightening, body-horror elements over typical superhero action. While it’s still based on a comic book, the trailer focuses on the terrifying physical transformation of the character. We see Hagen’s face grotesquely distort and his skin merging as a result of a failed experiment, culminating in a shocking scene where he appears to remove his own face.
Some of the most unsettling scenes depict Hagen being tortured with a knife, and then his hands shockingly turn into a mace, mirroring his appearance in the comics. This version of Clayface is very dark and violent, embracing gruesome body horror instead of the usual superhero action.
DC Comics has hinted at horror elements before, like the frightening scenes with Scarecrow’s gas in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight films and The Riddler’s killer tendencies in The Batman. However, DC hasn’t fully embraced the horror genre in its movies – until now. It seems Clayface will be taking advantage of this new direction for the DC Universe.
It’s fitting that this Clayface movie leans into horror, considering superhero stories frequently involve characters changing drastically. Clayface’s powers represent a terrifying loss of identity, unlike typical superhero transformations that focus on gaining strength or impressive physiques. With a script by Mike Flanagan, known for shows like Midnight Mass and The Haunting of Hill House, and direction from James Watkins (Eden Lake), horror fans have a lot to look forward to.
As we eagerly await DC’s first horror film, explore our picks for the most anticipated movies of 2026 and see the full release schedule in our 2026 movies calendar.
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2026-04-22 23:22