Word has come down that DC Studios is delaying its upcoming 2026 Batman villain movie. While the DCU Batman is still seemingly years away at this point, that does not mean the Blue Brand is altogether avoiding the bat-based mythos until that time. The new interconnected canon has confirmed it will explore the origins of classic Batman villain Clayface as part of an upcoming movie, set for release this fall.
Clayface was initially slated to grace the silver screen on September 11, but that is no longer the case. According to Fandango's Erik Davis, Warner Bros. and DC Studios have delayed the Clayface film to October 23, 2026. This means fans will have to wait roughly six weeks longer to get their fix of DC-tinged body horror.
No specific reason was given for this push, but fellow Warner Bros. film Practical Magic 2 now occupies its original September 11 release date.
Clayface will mark the first at least Batman-adjacent DCU movie, following the classic comic character Matt Hagen, a fledgling actor who, after a devastating accident, becomes the shape-shifting villain from which the film takes its name.
With a script written by a modern horror luminary, Mike Flanagan, and direction from Speak No Evil filmmaker James Watkins, Clayface stars Tom Rhys Harries as the titular comic mainstay, along with Mickey 17's Naomi Ackie and The Social Network's Max Minghella. Production on the project ran from August to November 2025, with a trailer expected to be imminent.
Why Did DC Studios Delay Clayface?
Since the film's first reveal back in December 2024, Clayface has always had this September 11, 2026, release attached to it. So, it might come as confusing to some to see the spine-chilling DC blockbuster getting the book this late in the game.
Production is done, and a trailer for the movie is reported to be coming soon, making this slight shuffle all the more head-scratching for those among the DC Studios faithful. It may ultimately be for the best, though.
Prior to this delay, DC Studios' three projects for the year were set to release within roughly three and a half months of one another. Supergirl in June, Lanterns during the summer, and Clayface in September. This move gives the rest of the DC slate for the year some time to breathe, with now a much larger gap between Lanterns and the Batman villain movie.
It could also drum up more hype for Clayface itself. Sure, fans would have gone out to see the horror-tinged superhero movie when it was set for a September release, but putting it a week before Halloween means that it might be able to capitalize on spooky season in a way it simply could not before.
It almost feels as if this should have been the case all along for the DC Studios blockbuster, putting it in theaters right at the height of people looking for something to scare them, both at the cinema and out.
