James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Universe (DCU) continues to take shape following the release of last year’s Superman (2025), which introduced David Corenswet (Clark Kent/Superman) as the franchise’s new Man of Steel.
With Supergirl (2026), starring Milly Alcock (Kara Zor-El/Supergirl), set to follow this summer, attention has also turned toward the darker corners of the DC theatrical slate, including new projects tied to the DCU’s Gotham City and Batman’s extended mythology.
Among them is The Brave and the Bold (TBA), directed by Andy Muschietti (2023’s The Flash), which is expected to introduce a new Bruce Wayne to the DCU.
While that film remains in development, another Gotham-connected project will arrive first. Clayface (2026), releasing this October, explores one of Batman’s most tragic villains, Matt Hagen, a struggling actor whose life takes a horrific turn.
Written by Mike Flanagan and directed by James Watkins, the film leans into “body-horror” elements, with early CinemaCon 2026 footage reportedly highlighting the character’s physical transformation into the shape-shifting Clayface.
“The trailer shows Matt sitting in a hospital bed with a bandaged, bloody face,” Variety writes. “He’s attacked by a knife-wielding assailant and has mysterious chemicals pumped into him, giving him his powers. Matt’s face changes repeatedly, showing him without an eye or mouth at times, and in the final moments he’s sitting in a bathtub and wipes away his entire face. There’s also a shadowy shot of him with a giant, mace-shaped fist, just like how he would pummel Batman in the DC comics.”
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The upcoming project is notable not just for its genre approach, but because it’s expected to serve as the first real look at Gotham City in the DCU ahead of Batman’s formal debut.
As DC begins its promotional push, the studio has now released the first official image from Clayface. It appears as an in-universe magazine cover spotlighting Tom Rhys Harries’ Matt Hagen as a rising actor, offering a grounded look at the character before his transformation. Notably, the image avoids revealing any version of Clayface himself, instead focusing on Hagen’s life prior to becoming the villain.
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Clayface stars Tom Rhys Harries, Naomi Ackie, Max Minghella, Eddie Marsan, and David Dencik, and is set to arrive in theaters on October 23, 2026, as the DCU continues to expand its interconnected world.
Are you excited about Clayface? And who would you cast as the next Dark Knight? Drop your thoughts below and stay tuned for more updates as the DCU continues to unfold!
