Before introducing Batman in Brave and the Bold, the DCU will dive into the Dark Knight's rogues' gallery with the R-rated body horror Clayface. Wolf King actor Tom Rhys Harries is expected to star as Matt Hagen, a Gotham-born actor who transforms into the shapeshifting monster Clayface. Speak No Evil director James Watkins will deliver Clayface on a low $40 million budget based on a reportedly strong script from Doctor Sleep writer Mike Flanagan.
According to The Hollywood Reporter (THR), Mickey 17 and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker actress Naomi Ackie is in early talks to join Clayface. The Welsh actress reportedly emerged as the frontrunner after reading sessions took place in the U.K. last week and will shortly begin formal negotiations for the DCU horror. But that wasn't all, as THR went on to share the first plot details for Clayface.
In its report, THR revealed that Clayface centers on a rising star "whose face is disfigured by a gangster" and turns to a scientist for help fixing it. While this experiment will initially be successful, it seems things will take a dark horror turn:
"Clayface centers on an ascending actor whose face is disfigured by a gangster. As a last resort, the actor turns to a fringe Elizabeth Holmes-style scientist for help. At first, the experiment is a successful but … well, it wouldn’t be a horror movie if the story ended right there, would it?"
While THR omitted details of Ackie's potential Clayface character, Nexus Point News (NPN) recently stated that Hagen's love interest and the movie's female lead is an original character, Dr. Caitlin Bates. The outlet stated Bates is the CEO of a biotech startup doing advanced medical research who investigates Hagen's transformation in hopes of curing him and expanding her business.
The report claimed that, despite falling in Hagen, Bates is engaged to a man called John, who is a detective and grows suspicious of their relationship. It is currently unclear whether DC Studios has an actor in mind to play John.
NPN expanded on Clayface's plot details, noting that Gothamite Matt Hagen moved to Hollywood to "escape his troubled past" and become an actor before transforming into the iconic Batman villain:
"Originally from Gotham, he moves to Hollywood to escape his troubled past and begin a career as an actor. With his disfigurement, his career and outlet as an actor is ruined and is eventually transformed into a shapeshifting monster."
Despite theories that Batman will appear in Clayface after Gunn hinted the DCU's Dark Knight may debut sooner than expected, the scoop indicated that the villain spin-off won't feature any iconic characters.
Clayface is said to be an R-rated, character-driven, body horror tale that centers around original characters, including a brand-new crime boss villain.
Tom Rhys Harries is currently Clayface's only confirmed cast member before filming starts in the coming months ahead of its September 11, 2026 release.
Why Fans Should Be Excited for DC's Clayface Movie
As Clayface is expected to start filming this fall in the U.K., casting news ought to heat up on DC Studios' first R-rated movie imminently. Provided negotiations with Naomi Ackie pull through (as seems likely), Clayface will soon have its leads, and focus will turn to casting other roles such as John and the gangsters.
The concept of an experiment gone wrong that turns a down-on-his-luck actor into a shapeshifting monster is certainly an interesting one, especially as fans know his journey will inevitably lead to a face-off with the Dark Knight someday.
Clayface truly highlights the potential behind James Gunn's vision for DC Studios - swerving any in-house style and allowing artists to carve out their projects. One can only imagine that DC Studios wouldn't be moving forward with a spin-off for a B-list Batman villain such as Clayface unless this was going to be something truly special, which should leave DCU and horror fans plenty of reason to be excited.
