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| Warner Bros. |
Finally, two new DC Universe movies are going to be released this year. Supergirl will release on June 26, and Clayface will release on October 23. In 2026, the DC Universe is planning to explore Batman mythology in a darker direction, where a movie based on one of Bruce Wayne’s powerful villains, Clayface, is coming.
This Clayface-based project will be DC Studios’ first R-rated movie, set for theatrical release this year. The film highlights the horror side of the Batman universe, with Clayface as the central focus. Recently, the official social media accounts of the upcoming Batman horror film released an image on Instagram, along with a first-look image from the project. This image finally puts the lead character in the spotlight, giving fans their first proper idea of the tone and visual direction. A teaser of the movie has also been released, which clearly shows that the film has a strong horror feel.
The official first-look image of DC Universe’s upcoming Clayface film has been revealed in the form of a magazine cover, spotlighting the Matt Hagen version of the character, played by Tom Rhys Harries. On the cover, the character is presented as a “rising star.” According to the story, this version of Clayface is a struggling actor trying to rise to stardom, but his life drastically changes when his face gets disfigured. This tragic transformation turns him into DC’s iconic shape-shifting villain.
This version of the story is one of the most commonly used adaptations of Clayface and has appeared in several animated versions before. Overall, the tone of Clayface presents a horror-leaning origin story that explores dark themes such as fame, loss of identity, and physical transformation, making it a distinct R-rated entry in the DCU.
Originally, Clayface was not part of DC Universe’s Chapter 1 slate titled “Gods and Monsters.” However, after writer Mike Flanagan pitched the idea, DC Studios was impressed and greenlit the Batman spin-off. The script also includes clever wordplay and hidden references like “Future Of Music: Lora De Thesis,” which hint at body horror and transformation themes.
Production on Clayface wrapped in November 2025, and the film is currently in post-production. Marketing has already begun, suggesting that a trailer may be released soon since the movie is about six months away from release. At CinemaCon, early footage was shown to audiences, giving a first look at the tone and visual style.
According to DC Studios’ roadmap, Supergirl releasing on June 26 will be the first major DCU film of 2026, followed by Lanterns on HBO in August. Meanwhile, Man of Tomorrow (2027) has already started principal photography, showing long-term planning for the franchise. Overall, Clayface became part of the lineup due to a strong creative pitch.
Surprisingly, Clayface is shaping up to be a darker and unusual DC Universe entry, focusing on a well-known Gotham villain—but interestingly, without Batman. The first-look teaser has generated curiosity, especially since it is an R-rated body horror superhero film.
This version of Clayface is inspired more by Batman: The Animated Series than comics, where Matt Hagen is a struggling actor who becomes a living clay monster after disfigurement. In the film, his origin follows a similar direction—after an encounter with Gotham mobsters, his face is destroyed, and he is later transformed into a clay-like being through experiments by scientist Dr. Caitlyn Corr.
After this transformation, the story focuses on his psychological struggle between holding onto his humanity and seeking revenge. The biggest question is: where is Batman in this film? Since DCU’s Batman (The Brave and the Bold) has not yet been introduced, the character cannot appear directly. This is why Clayface exists as a Gotham-based story without Batman.
However, there is speculation that Batman may appear briefly or in a shadowy cameo, similar to Creature Commandos. Still, officially, the film is designed to stand on its own without Batman.
Supporting cast includes Max Minghella as a GCPD officer and Eddie Marsan in another role, while other characters remain undisclosed. The film aims to show Gotham as a fully functioning criminal ecosystem, where crime and corruption exist even without Batman. There are also indirect hints of characters like Joker or Robin, but these should not be taken as confirmation of future Batman appearances.
Overall, Clayface is an experimental DCU project—an R-rated horror origin story that explores Gotham’s darkness without Batman, trying to establish its own identity.
DC’s decision to include Clayface in the DC Universe is interesting, especially since Batman has not yet been properly introduced in The Brave and the Bold. There are two major approaches DC has taken before: Matt Reeves’ The Batman universe, which is grounded and separate, and standalone experiments like Joker, which was successful but not always easy to replicate.
So why not make Clayface standalone? There are a few reasons:
First, DC wants a connected universe, and even R-rated projects are being included in a shared mythology under the “Gods and Monsters” phase.
Second, Clayface is deeply connected to Batman lore, so separating him completely would reduce emotional impact.
Third, from a business perspective, DC may prefer keeping projects within the DCU brand after mixed reactions to standalone experiments.
Finally, creatively, Clayface fits perfectly into the “Monsters” side of DCU, especially alongside “Gods” like Superman.
So overall, making Clayface part of the DCU rather than standalone is a balance between storytelling, world-building, and franchise strategy.
The biggest question about Clayface is whether it can work without Batman. This comparison is being made with Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, where villain-focused films like Venom, Morbius, and Kraven the Hunter followed a similar idea of removing the main hero.
In Sony’s case, results have been mixed—Venom was successful, but later films received weaker responses. However, failure wasn’t only due to Spider-Man’s absence but also due to storytelling and execution issues.
For Clayface, success will depend on whether the film is strong enough on its own. Since it is a body horror origin story about a tragic transformation, a solid execution could make Batman’s absence acceptable.
The advantage DCU has is that it is a planned shared universe, unlike Sony’s more fragmented approach. Therefore, Clayface is part of a larger mythology where Batman and Gotham can eventually connect naturally.
In conclusion, the comparison is valid but not identical. Sony’s spinoffs struggled due to disjointed execution, while Clayface is part of a carefully planned horror-driven vision. Its success will depend more on storytelling quality than Batman’s screen presence.