Clayface First Look: Tom Rhys Harries Debuts as Matt Hagen in DCU Horror Film

DC Studios has unveiled the first official glimpse of Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen in the upcoming Clayface feature film, offering fans a preview of the character before his monstrous transformation. The image release marks a significant milestone for the project, which represents a bold tonal shift for James Gunn’s rebooted DC Universe as it embraces R-rated body horror.

The debut comes as Warner Bros. Discovery positions the film as the third theatrical installment in the new DCU continuity, following David Corenswet’s Superman and Milly Alcock’s Supergirl. With a release date set for October 23, 2026, the movie promises to deliver a distinctly darker entry in the superhero franchise.

The Social Media Debut and Magazine Concept

The official Clayface Instagram account released the first-look image featuring Harries on what appears to be a magazine cover, cheekily captioned “A face you won’t forget.” The visual presents the actor as a “rising star” in the entertainment industry, confirming that director James Watkins and writer Mike Flanagan are utilizing the character’s most famous backstory as a working actor rather than the alternative serial killer origins associated with other versions of the villain.

This specific interpretation draws directly from the beloved Batman: The Animated Series portrayal, where Matt Hagen was established as a skilled thespian who undergoes a horrific transformation after exposure to experimental substances. However, unlike the kid-friendly animated approach or the comedic take seen in recent HBO Max animated projects, this live-action adaptation appears to be leaning into the tragic horror inherent in the character’s disfigurement and subsequent powers. The magazine cover aesthetic cleverly reinforces Hagen’s background as a performer seeking fame, only to find infamy through his monstrous condition.

Reimagining the Shapeshifter: From Animation to Body Horror

While the source material references the same backstory popularized in the 1990s animated series, DC Studios’ live-action version is charting a vastly different tonal course. Previous iterations of Clayface—whether touching on the violence inherent in the character’s creation or embracing full comedy as seen in the Harley Quinn series voiced by Alan Tudyk—have varied in their approach to the monstrous elements.

This film marks a significant departure by fully embracing body horror. The creative team’s decision to focus on Matt Hagen rather than the original Clayface, Basil Karlo, signals an intent to explore themes of identity, vanity, and physical transformation through a more nuanced lens. Where Karlo was established in DC Comics as a serial killer and master of disguise using makeup, Hagen’s trajectory as an actor corrupted by experimental substances offers richer opportunities for psychological depth and visceral horror. The distinction matters for fans tracking which version of the character enters the DCU canon, as Hagen’s narrative inherently contains more tragedy than malice, suggesting a complex antagonist rather than a simple villain.

The R-rated designation suggests that Watkins and Flanagan intend to explore the grotesque realities of a shapeshifting physiology without the constraints typically placed on superhero fare. This approach aligns with the character’s potential for terrifying visual storytelling, focusing on the painful metamorphosis from human to clay-like entity and the existential horror of losing one’s physical identity.

Creative Vision and DCU Diversity

The project represents a strategic effort by DC Studios to diversify the types of stories told within their shared universe. As co-studio head Peter Safran previously explained, the goal involves offering varied cinematic experiences beyond traditional four-quadrant blockbusters. According to Safran, “Not every movie has to be for everyone, but we want to have something for everyone.”

This philosophy explains the lower-budget, higher-risk horror approach of Clayface, which recently received a major showcase during Warner Bros. Discovery’s CinemaCon presentation in Las Vegas. The decision to greenlight such a specialized project demonstrates confidence in niche storytelling within the larger franchise framework, potentially opening doors for genre experiments alongside mainstream superhero adventures. The inclusion of horror auteur Mike Flanagan on scripting duties further reinforces the studio’s commitment to authentic genre trappings rather than sanitized horror-lite content.

Key creative personnel include:

• Director: James Watkins (Eden Lake, The Woman in Black)
• Writer: Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House, Doctor Sleep)
• Star: Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen/Clayface
• Rating: R-rated for body horror content
• Studio: DC Studios under Warner Bros. Discovery

CinemaCon Footage and Visual Palette

Exclusive footage shown to attendees at the recent Las Vegas convention provided concrete evidence of the film’s horror credentials. Reports from the event described seriously unsettling imagery that pushes the boundaries of what audiences might expect from the DC brand, suggesting that Watkins is leveraging his experience with atmospheric dread from previous films.

The preview footage reportedly included:

• Harries’ character suffering severe facial disfigurement during the transformation sequence
• The actor’s entire body visibly turning into clay-like substance
• A particularly disturbing glimpse of Hagen’s face morphing into something described as “downright inhuman”
• Practical effects mixed with CGI to emphasize the tactile, grotesque nature of the transformation

These visual elements suggest a film that will contrast sharply with the “bright and sunny” aesthetic teased for other DCU entries. The body horror focus positions Clayface as a potential genre standout, leveraging practical and digital effects to create unsettling transformation sequences that honor the character’s monstrous potential while distinguishing the film from both superhero and traditional horror offerings.

Release Strategy and Franchise Positioning

Clayface occupies a unique position in the DCU rollout schedule as the third planned installment, following the foundational Superman film and June’s Supergirl. The October 23, 2026 release date places the horror feature in prime Halloween season territory, an appropriate window for R-rated body horror content that maximizes the seasonal appetite for scary cinema.

This scheduling suggests a calculated approach to franchise building, alternating between the hopeful, heroic tone of the Superman family properties and the darker, more disturbing corners of the DC catalog. The film arrives just months after Supergirl’s punk-rock interpretation of the Kryptonian cousin, offering a stark tonal counterpoint that demonstrates the universe’s intended range. By positioning Clayface as an October release, Warner Bros. Discovery signals confidence that the DCU brand can support diverse genres beyond summer blockbusters, potentially establishing a recurring slot for darker DC properties in the Halloween season.

The progression from Corenswet’s optimistic Superman through Alcock’s rebellious Supergirl to Harries’ tragic Clayface illustrates the breadth of storytelling possibilities Gunn and Safran envision for their cinematic universe. Rather than maintaining uniform brightness, the slate appears designed to accommodate genuine horror alongside traditional superhero adventure, ensuring that the franchise can explore the full spectrum of DC’s publishing history.

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