The DCU is set to get a little more strange and spooky thanks to the obscure Batman villain Clayface.
Fans of DC comics have been treated to a banquet of superhero cinema and TV over the past few years, with each course having its own distinct flavour.
Superman was a hopeful sci-fi spectacular, Peacemaker was a gritty thriller, Supergirl was an expansive space road trip and Lanterns was a buddy cop show. Each instalment in James Gunn's rebooted DCU has given us something different, a trend set to very much continue in the horror movie Clayface.
A relatively low budget affair, Clayface was penned by horror maestro Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House, Carrie) before directing duties were handed over to Speak No Evil filmmaker James Watkins.
Flanagan's take on the Batman villain sees the titular character as an actor disfigured in a brutal attack who turns to an experimental procedure to heal his wounds, only to transform into something different entirely.
Comic fans will know that Clayface usually faces off against Batman, which definitely raises some questions about potential references to The Dark Knight himself in the upcoming film.
Whatever Watkins, Flanagan and Gunn have in store, Clayface is set to be something completely different in the world of comic-to-screen adaptations.
Read on to find out all you need to know about how and where to watch it.
How can I watch Clayface?
Clayface will be available to watch in cinemas from Friday 23 October.
Previous DCU films, including 2026's Supergirl, and shows are all available to stream on HBO Max.
Is Clayface on streaming?
No. Clayface isn't available on streaming services yet and likely won't be for some time.
Who is Clayface?
Like many comicbook characters, the Clayface moniker has been used by many people.
The original Clayface was Boris Karlo, named in reference to the legendary Frankenstein actor Boris Karloff, who was a B-movie actor driven insane by an industry that had slowly turned its back on him. This led to him donning the mantle of Clayface, a character from one of his earlier films, and killing actors involved in a remake of one of his most well known films.
The second most famous depiction of the character is Matt Hagen, who gained the ability to morph and change his body after immersing himself in a radioactive pool.
Clayface is primarily known for his shapeshifting abilities, wearing multiple faces to commit his crimes. He's shown up a few times on screen, most notably in Batman: The Animated Series as well as in previous DCU entry Creature Commandos, in which the Matt Hagen version of the character appears.
Watkins and Flanagan seem to be drawing particular inspiration from Batman: The Animated Series, with their version of the character being an actor named Matt Hagen who becomes Clayface after being disfigured in a violent attack.
Clayface cast – who stars in the film?
Clayface features a strong cast of new and familiar faces, led by Welsh actor Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen. Joining Harries are actors Naomi Ackie and Max Minghella, as well as Eddie Marsan, who stars in an unknown role.
- Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen/Clayface
- Naomi Ackie as Dr. Caitlyn Corr
- Max Minghella as John Borrelli
- Eddie Marsan
- Ruby Sear
- Nancy Carroll
- Sam Hazeldine
What is Clayface about?
Clayface follows up-and-coming actor Matt Hagen as he searches for a way to heal after a vicious attack leaves him scarred.
This leads him to scientist Dr Caitlyn Corr, who treats him using an experimental serum which has side effects that ultimately transform him into Clayface.
What comes next? Revenge? Betrayal? A touch of light crime and villainy? A showdown with Batman, perhaps? We'll have to wait and see.
Clayface trailer
You can watch the latest Clayface trailer below:
View Green Video on the source websiteClayface hits cinemas on Friday 23 October.
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