DC Studios ‘Clayface’ Trailer Is Here, and It Is Heavy on the Body Horror

The official trailer for DC Studios’ next film is here, and boy, does it look intense. Clayface, the third film from DC Studios after Superman and Supergirl, features a perhaps lesser-known Gotham villain. However, instead of going the typical villain and superhero route, Clayface will be full-on horror that focuses more on the psychological pain that gave rise to the titular character.

The horror aspect isn’t surprising considering Mike Flanagan co-wrote the screenplay, nor is the fact that the movie is body horror (it’s about a guy with a clay-like body, after all). But the trailer leans into the body horror even more than the first teaser did, and at times it’s downright disturbing. In fact, producer Peter Safran emphasized to Entertainment Weekly in an exclusive that the film has “the true body horror of a Cronenberg-type movie.”

So, get ready, Batman and horror fans, for DC Studios’ first foray into R-rated horror.

Who Is Clayface?

For those unfamiliar, Clayface is a foe (and occasional ally) of Batman’s. In the comics, several characters over the years held this moniker, including Matthew Hagen. The comic book version of Hagen, from the 1950s, was a treasure hunter who acquired his shapeshifting, clay-like abilities after being exposed to radioactive protoplasm.

The Hagen of the film is an actor whose career and fame are cut short after an attack leaves him horribly disfigured. Desperate to get his face and life back, Hagen discovers a cutting-edge treatment that at first seems to have miraculously worked. However, it isn’t long before he discovers certain unsettling changes to his body, which spur him onto a revenge-driven mission.

While director James Watkins confirmed that Clayface’s final form won’t be revealed before the film’s release, the trailer shows off some of the terrifying consequences of the supposedly miraculous treatment. In one scene, while on a plane, Hagen realizes he’s having trouble seeing out of one eye and discovers it’s because his skin has started fusing together. His solution is to pull out a pair of cuticle scissors. The rest of the trailer includes shots of his face looking half-melted, his mouth fusing shut, and his body turning ever more like clay as he lies in an empty tub.

Everything Else Fans Should Know

Safran also confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that as far as canon goes, Clayface predates Creature Commandos. So, the version of Clayface in the animated HBO Max series is the same as the one in the film.

The cast behind Clayface is a fantastic one, starting with Hagen himself, played by Tom Rhys Harries. Other notable cast members include Max Minghella, Francesca Corney, Naomi Ackie, and Tanya Moodie.

While the movie was originally set to be released in September 2026, an updated schedule has now set its release for October 23, 2026. Batman and body horror fans alike should get ready for what looks to be a dark journey into Gotham.

(feature image: DC Studios/Warner Bros)

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]