Clayface: everything we know so far about the DCU horror movie (release date, likely cast, plot rumors)

Clayface, the third movie that'll arrive as part of James Gunn and Peter Safran's DC Universe (DCU), is being moulded as we speak.

Due out on September 11, 2026, the DCU's first horror film will introduce a wider audience to the shapeshifting Batman villain in his first-ever standalone flick. Indeed, while he's a familiar face to DC comic book fans, most cinephiles will want a crash course on who Clayface is and why he's getting a solo movie in the DCU before The Dark Knight does.

In this guide, I've rounded up the latest and most important information on the forthcoming film. That includes more on the character of Clayface, as well as the flick's expected cast, possible story details, and more.

Clayface release date

As I mentioned up top, Clayface is set to arrive on September 11, 2026. That launch date was announced as part of a major DCU update delivered by Gunn and Safran in February 2025.

Principal photography began in the UK in September, with cities and towns in north-west England, including Liverpool, Stockport, and New Brighton, selected as stand-ins for Gotham City, aka the municipality Batman primarily operates out of. This is the second time Liverpool has been used as a replacement for Gotham, as some of 2022's The Batman, which is part of the Matt Reeves Bat-Verse that officially sits independent of the DCU, was also filmed in this city.

Clayface trailer: is there one?

No. With the cameras still rolling on the DCU Chapter One movie, it'll be a while before a trailer is released.

Hopefully, a teaser will come out in early 2026. Next year's San Diego Comic-Con, which takes place three months before Clayface releases in theaters, is the most likely place for a full trailer unveiling.

Clayface cast: which actors are set to appear?

Possible spoilers follow for Clayface.

So far, only one actor has been confirmed to appear in Clayface. However, three other stars have appeared on the set and/or been unofficially added to its cast roster:

• Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen/Clayface
• Naomi Ackie as TBC
• Max Minghella as TBC
• Eddie Marsan as TBC

Harries, who some might recognize from the 2024 Doctor Who episode 'Dot and Bubble', is the movie's lead. Announcing his hiring in mid-June, Gunn revealed he and fellow DC Studios co-chief Peter Safran "were blown away" by Harries' audition for Clayface's title role.

As for which version of the character Harries is playing, that'll be Matt Hagen. First appearing in 'Detective Comics #298' in December 1961, Hagen is the second individual to assume the supervillain's name and physiology after Basil Karlo, who made his DC Comics debut in 'Detective Comics #40' in December 1940.

In the source material, Hagen is a treasure hunter who transforms into the monstrous shapeshifter after coming into contact with a pool of radioactive protoplasm. However, in the DCU, Hagen is an actor who, if rumors are to be believed, will undergo an experimental procedure and get turned into an individual made of clay.

Ackie, who'll play a scientist called Caitlin Bates (according to The Hollywood Reporter (THR), could be behind Hagen's transmutation. THR has also claimed Minghella is playing a police detective named John, who becomes embroiled in an investigation involving Hagen. Both stars have been spotted on the film's set in Liverpool, so they're all but confirmed to feature.

Marsan has also been seen shooting scenes in Liverpool. Based on footage uploaded to X/Twitter (see above), it seems that Marsan was seen sporting an identical set of clothes to those worn by Harries, so he could be one of Hagen's shapeshifting human disguises. However, industry insider Apocalyptic Horseman has suggested Marsan is Hagen's manager, so the jury is still out on Marsan's mystery role.

Another DC character that fans would love to see, even if it's in a cameo capacity, is Batman. After all, Clayface is a member of The Caped Crusader's rogues gallery, so this movie feels like the perfect opportunity to officially reveal the DCU's iteration of The Dark Knight.

However, while the DCU's Batman has been teased in other projects, including episode 6 of Creature Commandos, 2025's Superman movie, and episode 1 of Peacemaker season 2, an actor hasn't yet been hired to play Bruce Wayne and his vigilante alter ego. So, unless Batman only appears in silhouette form, which he did in Creature Commandos episode 6, it's incredibly unlikely he'll be involved.

Clayface story speculation

Potential spoilers follow for Clayface.

There's very little public information about Clayface's plot, but there are some story-based details floating around the web.

For starters, speaking to Gizmodo last December, Gunn said he "didn’t plan on making a Clayface movie", but the screenplay from horror auteur Mike Flanagan was so good that it was quickly put into production. In the same month, Gunn also confirmed (see the X/Twitter post above) that the James Watkins-directed project is officially part of the DCU, thus ending speculation that it'll exist as part of Matt Reeves' Bat-Verse.

In July 2025, Gunn revealed – via the DC Studios podcast – that it'll be R-rated. That's 18+ for fans outside of the US. Per THR's Heat Vision newsletter, the body horror, which Safran has described as DC's take on The Fly (per Brandon Davis), will be produced in the vein of an indie horror flick, with a reportedly modest $45 million budget helping it get greenlit.

Inspiration-wise, Flanagan told comicbook.com that the movie takes its cues from 'Feat of Clay', a two-part fan-favorite story involving the titular villain in the beloved program Batman: The Animated Series. The Hagen version appears in this two-parter, which is likely why Hagen, rather than Karlo, was chosen to be this flick's protagonist

For what it's worth, it's unclear if the Karlo version is the one who appeared in season 1 of Creature Commandos, the adult animated HBO Max show that kickstarted the DCU last December, or if that's Hagen as well. If it's the former, there'll be two Clayfaces running around the DCU. If it's the latter, it's possible Clayface may serve as a prequel to Harries' supervillain origins and predates Creature Commandos.

Anyway, it doesn't sound like this film will directly adapt the story told in 'Feat of Clay'. In that double header, Hagen is severely injured in a car crash and, after being offered an experimental serum by a nefarious businessman, Hagen is able to transform into anyone he desires.

According to THR, though, Hagen will be the victim of a vicious gang attack that leaves him disfigured in this movie. Deadline also suggests Hagen will be more of a sympathetic character than his comic book counterpart, so Clayface may be more of a Greek tragedy than a straight-up villain piece.

Lastly, as the above X/Twitter post indicates, the DCU's third big-screen offering will be full of references and call-backs to other characters who operate in Gotham, and include famous city locations such as Club Vesuvius. A nightclub owned by mobster Johnny Sabatino, this venue could play host to a major set-piece in the film, especially if Sabatino is the man responsible for physically maiming Hagen.

It'll be interesting to see if the rest of these DC comic book references are mere Easter eggs, or if we'll actually meet any of the individuals they're teasing, such as The Joker, the Grayson family, The Penguin, Black Canary, Black Mask, and Zatanna – the latter being a Club Vesuvius regular. I'd be stunned if any or all of these characters show up, but I've been wrong before.

Will Clayface set up other DCU movies and TV shows?

The short answer is: we don't know. Given the aforementioned references, it's possible that Clayface could lay the foundations for any of the above characters and/or Batman to be introduced in the DCU.

At the time of this article's initial publication, though, Peacemaker season 2 has only just passed its midpoint on HBO Max. According to Gunn, Peacemaker's sophomore season holds the key to his overarching plan for DCU Chapter One, otherwise known as 'Gods and Monsters'. So, we'll have to wait until it ends to see how it'll help establish the primary narrative of 'Gods and Monsters' before we can determine if Clayface will have a role in firming up those plans via its wider association with Batman and Gotham City.

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