First teaser for Clayface released: a disturbing and terrifying look at a Batman villain
According to the CinemaDrame News Agency, DC Studios has released the first teaser for Clayface. The footage, which has received a strong reaction online, was unveiled a week after being shown privately at CinemaCon, and promises a bold entry into the body horror genre.
The teaser opens with Matt Hagen, played by Tom Rhys Harries, lying in a hospital bed with his head heavily bandaged and bloodied. The footage then cuts between stages of his horrific transformation before and after a violent attack. In the final sequence, Harries’ face rapidly morphs like clay, with his eyes, nose, and mouth dissolving as he runs his hand across his face.
The trailer shows the character wearing a mask while his skin peels and distorts, alongside scenes of facial injections, blood tests, and flashbacks to his pre-transformation life, where he appears as a conventionally attractive actor.
Clayface is one of Batman’s most iconic villains, first introduced in June 1940 in Detective Comics #40. The original version was a moderately successful actor who turned to crime and adopted the identity of a character he once portrayed in a horror film. His body, made of living clay, has since appeared across films, television, animation, and video games.
The film is directed by James Watkins and will serve as DC Studios’ next major project under James Gunn and Peter Safran, following Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which is set for release on June 26.
Cast: Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella, and Eddie Marsan alongside Tom Rhys Harries
Screenwriters: Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini
Producers: Matt Reeves (The Batman), Lynn Harris, James Gunn, and Peter Safran
Clayface, originally scheduled for early September release, is now set to hit cinemas on October 23, 2026.
