The DC universe embraces horror.

DC’s Clayface first-look trailer leans into the horror of Tom Rhys Harries’ freaky transformation

The DC universe embraces horror.

By Nick Romano

Nick Romano

Nick Romano is a senior editor at ** with 15 years of journalism experience covering entertainment. His work previously appeared in Vanity Fair, Vulture, IGN, and more.

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April 22, 2026 2:48 p.m. ET

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Tom Rhys Harries stars in DC's 'Clayface' movie. Credit:

Jo Hale/Getty; DC Comics

- DC's *Clayface* movie gets a first-look teaser trailer.

- The film reveals Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen, a promising young actor who eventually becomes the shapeshifting Batman villain of DC Comics.

- The movie sets a new release date for spooky season in October.

Clayface is ready for his close-up.

DC Studios released a first look at its upcoming horror-thriller, named after the classic Batman baddie known as Clayface, in the form of a teaser trailer. The footage, which officially arrives online after an earlier sneak peek out of CinemaCon in Las Vegas, showcases Tom Rhys Harries (*White Lines*, *The Gentlemen*) as Matt Hagen, a rising Hollywood actor who is horribly mutilated by a gangster.

To restore his money-making mug and save his career, Matt undergoes a risky surgery that inevitably transfigures him into Clayface, a villain of DC Comics whose body is made out of clay and can shape-shift into just about anything he can think of. One snippet from the first-look trailer shows the shadow of Matt transforming his arm into a giant spiked mace to bludgeon someone.

The *Clayface* trailer goes all in on the horror tone, using a haunting close-up image of Matt's bloodied, bandaged face as the framework for the preview, around which flashes of other scenes flicker on and off screen. Among those shots are visions of Mr. Hagen in an airplane bathroom, on the street, and naked in a bathroom watching helplessly as his face melts into various forms.

Another shot reveals a Gotham cop car, confirming the setting is Gotham City, the home of Batman/Bruce Wayne, a hero not yet cast in the new DC universe.

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The footage also reveals looks at some of the supporting cast, which includes Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella, and Eddie Marsan.

*Clayface* stems from a concept written by Mike Flanagan, known in the horror space for his multiple hit Netflix series, from *The Haunting of Hill House* to *The Midnight Club*, as well as his film work like *Doctor Sleep* and the upcoming *Exorcist*. James Watkins (*Speak No Evil*, *The Woman in Black*) directs *Clayface* based on Flanagan's script, which was inspired by the "Feat of Clay" arc of *Batman: The Animated Series*.

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"Mike Flanagan is somebody who I've been friendly with for a long time, and he wrote me about Clayface," James Gunn, the co-head of DC Studios, previously told ** in a June 2025 interview. "He texted me about it really early on in my DC journey. Just being honest, I did not think that was something that was going to happen, but he came in, and he pitched the idea, and I was like, 'Oh s---! That's cool.' It's a body-horror movie. It's a horror movie that, like any cool body-horror movie, just happens to be in the DCU. And then he wrote the script, and the script was fantastic. We did not plan to do *Clayface*. That was really something he brought to us."

It marks a different flavor in the DC portfolio. *Superman* was the classic, optimistic superhero movie; *Peacemaker* season 2 continued its streak of R-rated humor; the upcoming *Supergirl* (in theaters June 26) gives the impression of a cosmic adventure; and this year's *Lanterns* on HBO (premiering in August) embraced a *True Detective*-esque tone.

*Clayface*, previously dated for Sept. 11, is now scheduled to release in theaters this Oct. 23. Watch the trailer above.

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