News Roundup: Shaping Clayface

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The DC Universe (or DCU) is breaking new ground with Clayface, releasing October 23rd. The film, focusing on the batman villain, tells the tragic story of the rise and fall of Matt Hagen, a Hollywood star that gains superpowers. Hagen’s super journey takes a darker turn as he becomes the villainous Clayface, a villain who crosses paths with Batman. There has been a massive marketing campaign showcasing just what Warner Brothers and DC have been crafting for their first horror feature. Let’s take a look at some of the things they’ve been using to build the villain – besides clay of course.

CLIPS, CLIPS, CLIPS

There have been a number of clips and trailers including a scene billed as one of the most stressful scenes in the movie. Hagen is on a plane when he realizes he’s losing face (So to speak) so he has to- well. Let the clip speak for itself. TRIGGER WARNING: Eyeball Horror!

We’ve also gotten a look at just how Clayface might get his titular powers thanks to this clip with Naomi Ackie and actor Tom Rhys Harries. The scene mirrors a scene from the original inspiration for the film. Writer Mike Flanagan has said he was inspired by the Batman: The Animated Series Episode “Feat of Clay”. Compare and contrast the two power origin stories below!

POSTERS AND UNIQUE ARTWORK; SHAPING THE MONSTER

Clayface is at heart about an artist – no matter the circumstances. From Matt Hagen to Basil Karlo and other “clayfaces”, the whole concept is a character that represents how Batman can be seen as anything – even to himself. The concept has produced a number of art pieces from official ones to non official ones. Take a look at some of them below and tell us if they manage to capture the shifting horrors of this tragic character. Even the tagline “Look Fear In the Face” hints at this remarkable character!

This international poster adds a mysterious flare by showing us more of the monster and adding the human element underneath in an iconic moment from the trailer. It makes it look almost like an art house horror film!

DC and Warner Brothers have leaned into creating a horror character. It’s about time the studio did so too. For a publishing company with iconic characters like Swamp Thing, Man-Bat, Two-Face, and Batman himself, horror is essential. It’s past time James Gunn, writer of such body horror epics like Slither, was able to use his horror talents in both picking material and creating it. Just how audiences will receive Clayface remains to be seen; the reviews are just as mixed as the material from the character itself. Add to that the original promotional material and you have a very cool set up for a unique horror world with a comic book twist. Take a look at one of the original teaser images below!

THE ACTORS THEMSELVES; CALL IT ART CLASS

One of my favorite parts of films is when actors share their process. While Matt Hagen’s career was (tragically?) cut short, Tom Rhys Harries, portraying the character, shared his “creative notebook” on X. Check out the image below and check out the actual tweet here.

Harries also took to X to share he brought his character to the premiere with him. Check out the photos below and take a look at the tweet here to see just how much he’s embracing the character!

The trend of “bringing your character to the red carpet” is great, though it was popularized by Godzilla Minus One‘s VFX director, Takashi Yamazaki. He and his team also wore Godzilla shoes (perhaps Harries should consider Clayface-themed accessories for his character’s next outing?).

There’s tons of other material out there. Do you have a favorite! Share it with us in the comments below!

Clayface releases in theaters October 23rd. Will you be seeing it? Let us know in the comments.