‘Clayface’ Star Confirms the Batman Villain’s Comic-Accurate Final Form Will Appear in DC’s Body Horror Movie

DC Studios has spent the past few years building out its cinematic universe with a clear willingness to take genuine creative risks, moving well beyond the traditional superhero blueprint audiences have come to expect. Few upcoming projects illustrate that ambition quite as clearly as the studio’s next release, which marks its first full dive into horror territory.

That genre shift has generated plenty of curiosity since the project was first announced, particularly given the character at its center has historically been used to deliver some of the more unsettling moments across DC’s comic book history. With the film’s release date now rapidly approaching, fans have finally started getting concrete answers about just how far the production is willing to go.

Clayface’s final comic-accurate form has officially been confirmed to appear in DC Studios’ upcoming ‘Clayface’ film, according to comments from star Tom Rhys Harries. Speaking about his character’s transformation, Harries didn’t hold back in describing what fans can expect. “It’s fucking sick!” Harries told Empire about the character’s climactic physical shift.

That enthusiasm from Harries lines up directly with comments from director James Watkins, who’s been equally vocal about the film’s commitment to embracing its horror roots fully. “When we were at San Diego Comic-Con, people were like, ‘I hope you don’t go soft.’ And I’m like, ‘Trust me, we don’t go soft,'” Watkins said. “But at the same time, there is that line. It’s a ride.”

Watkins, known for directing ‘Eden Lake’ and the acclaimed ‘Speak No Evil’ remake, has consistently framed ‘Clayface’ as more of a supervillain tragedy than a traditional superhero film. Speaking at a Comic-Con panel earlier this year, Watkins emphasized that the more grounded and human these characters feel, the more effective the horror becomes for audiences.

He just has one of those faces.

New TV-Spot for 'CLAYFACE' 🫠 pic.twitter.com/C4MLEJwgUS

— DC Film News (@DCFilmNews) September 22, 2026

‘Clayface’ follows Matt Hagen, played by Harries, an actor on the cusp of superstardom whose career and life are upended after he’s brutally disfigured. Desperate to reclaim his former life, Hagen turns to scientist Caitlyn Corr, played by Naomi Ackie, who offers him an experimental treatment that restores his looks but comes with devastating consequences.

The film’s screenplay comes from Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, with Flanagan having long expressed interest in exploring Clayface through the lenses of horror, tragedy, and romance rather than a straightforward action-driven villain story. That approach positions Matt Hagen’s transformation as something rooted in genuine human loss rather than pure spectacle.

According to earlier reporting, Watkins has confirmed that Clayface’s final form will remain completely hidden from the film’s marketing materials, following a strategy similar to recent horror hits like ‘Longlegs’ and ‘Weapons.’ That deliberate concealment has only fueled further speculation and anticipation among fans eager to see how faithfully the film translates the character’s comic book design to the screen.

The supporting cast rounds out with David Dencik, Max Minghella, Eddie Marsan, and Aaron Paul, giving the project a strong ensemble to support Harries’ central transformation arc. Matt Reeves, Lynn Harris, James Gunn, and Peter Safran serve as producers on the film.

‘Clayface’ marks the third film in the newly established DC Universe, following James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ and preceding Craig Gillespie’s upcoming ‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.’ That placement within the broader franchise timeline signals just how much confidence DC Studios has placed in this genre experiment paying off with audiences.

With its October 23 release date approaching and both its star and director openly hyping the film’s commitment to genuine horror, ‘Clayface’ looks positioned to deliver one of the more unexpectedly intense entries in the current DC slate.

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