DC Studios will finally provide fans the opportunity to witness how distinct the DCU's Gotham City is from other versions, such as the most recent one seen in Robert Pattinson's The Batman. Gotham is set to take center stage in the live-action realm of the DCU soon in Clayface, after a brief look at the city was unveiled in animated form in Creature Commandos. Marketing for Clayface has been steadily building, and the hype exploded after exclusive footage debuted at CinemaCon, delivering the first chilling look at Matt Hagen's tragic story and the DCU's vision for Gotham.
The general audience will get a first look at the DCU's version of Gotham City after DC Studios announced that the first trailer for Clayface will be released online on Wednesday, April 22.
The official Clayface account also posted the first official look at Tom Rhys Harries' Matt Hagen ahead of the trailer's release.
Gotham made its first official DCU appearance in Creature Commandos Season 1, Episode 6, which chronicles the origin of Doctor Phosphorus.
While the depiction was brief, it established that the DCU's Gotham is presented as a dark, dreary, and classically gothic city that evokes danger, especially at night.
DCU's Gotham has shadowy streets and a city rife with corruption, filled with imposing structures that are stylized yet grounded.
Creature Commandos also established that Batman operates as an established hero. In the animated series, the Dark Knight had a dramatic entrance in Penguin's Iceberg Lounge before capturing Doctor Phosphorus and placing him behind bars.
Batman's entrance also gave fans the impression that Gotham's villains and criminals actually fear him, suggesting he is not someone to be messed with.
Directed by James Watkins and written by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, Clayface centers on the tragic transformation of famous actor Matt Hagen into the titular shape-shifting villain. This upcoming R-rated movie under the DC Studios banner serves as an early bridge to the DCU's version of Gotham, Batman, and the Bat-Family.
Clayface stars Tom Rhys Harries, Naomi Ackie, Max Minghella, and many more. Batman is not expected to appear in Clayface, but it should give fans a sneak peek into how he operates through clues and dialogue from the characters.
Clayface is set to premiere in theaters on October 23.
How Clayface Can Set Up Batman's Eventual Entrance
While Clayface centers on the tragic story of Matt Hagen, the movie's portrayal of Gotham will make the arrival of the DCU's Batman in The Brave and the Bold feel earned and lived-in.
It is all but confirmed that Clayface will include easter eggs sprinkled throughout Gotham that could hint at which villains are active at this point in the timeline, giving fans an idea of which member of Batman's rogues gallery will serve as an antagonist in The Brave and the Bold.
Overall, Clayface is also establishing Gotham itself as a living, breathing character, one that corrupts and reshapes desperate individuals into dangerous monsters and breeds villains capable of shattering the city's already fragile morale.
