DC Studios has released the first official promotional image for Clayface (2026), offering a new look at Tom Rhys Harries' Matt Hagen, the classic Batman villain, before his transformation.
Presented as an in-universe magazine cover dubbing Hagen a “Rising Star,” the image keeps the character’s monstrous form hidden, instead focusing on the actor’s human appearance as the DC Universe (DCU) begins its marketing rollout.
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The project is one of several films shaping the early direction of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DCU, which launched last year with Superman (2025) starring David Corenswet (Clark Kent/Superman).
While Supergirl (2026), led by Milly Alcock (Kara Zor-El/Supergirl), will continue that expansion this summer, Clayface, which releases in October, stands apart tonally.
Written by Mike Flanagan and directed by James Watkins, the film, described as a “body horror,” centers on Matt Hagen, a struggling actor who becomes the shape-shifting villain from Batman’s Rogues’ Gallery.
The character’s ties to Gotham City also place the film in close proximity to The Brave and the Bold (TBA), which is expected to introduce the DCU’s Batman.
Directed by Andy Muschietti (2023's The Flash), that film remains in development, with no confirmed casting for Bruce Wayne or a release date. As a result, Clayface will serve as audiences’ first official look at Gotham City within the rebooted DCU continuity, even if Batman himself is unlikely to appear.
Early footage shown at CinemaCon 2026 suggested a heavy emphasis on body horror. The newly released image, however, takes a more restrained approach, leaning into the in-universe celebrity angle of Hagen’s career before his transformation.
Variety writes: “The trailer shows Matt sitting in a hospital bed with a bandaged, bloody face,” the outlet writes. “He's attacked by a knife-wielding assailant and has mysterious chemicals pumped into him, giving him his powers. Matt's face changes repeatedly, showing him without an eye or mouth at times, and in the final moments he's sitting in a bathtub and wipes away his entire face. There's also a shadowy shot of him with a giant, mace-shaped fist, just like how he would pummel Batman in the DC comics.”
Clayface stars Tom Rhys Harries, Naomi Ackie, Max Minghella, Eddie Marsan, and David Dencik, and is scheduled for release on October 23, 2026.
Are you excited about Clayface? And who would you cast as the next Dark Knight? Drop your thoughts below and stay tuned for more updates as the DCU continues to unfold!
