Clayface's DCU Timeline Is Still Unclear, And One Pic's Comic Book References Make Me More Confused

Nothing sounds like a better plan for later this year than bringing the threats and thrills of the Halloween season into James Watkins’ upcoming DCU movie Clayface, which looks like it’ll be the freakiest DC-sourced fare since Danny DeVito’s Penguin kingdom in Batman Returns. (Mr. Freeze’s puns in Batman and Robin run a close third.) The first teaser hit the Internet this week, sparking my theories about a slightly altered origin story for the Batman rogue. But it didn’t clear up when exactly this story is taking place.

Previously, DCU co-boss James Gunn confirmed that Clayface would be set before the events showcased in Superman and its impending sequel Man of Tomorrow, but that’s about all the context he provided for the body-horror film’s time setting. The teaser does feature a pretty specific clue or two that help lock down a tighter window, but Warner Bros.released some nifty promo imagery with a couple of comic book references that seemingly muddy things up even more.

Clayface's Teaser Cements The Movie Takes Place In The 21st Century

Since Clayface is leaning into the comic book character's early origins as a Hollywood star whose life goes sideways, there was speculation that the live-action movie would possibly be set during during one of Hollywood's earlier eras. But no, there's at least one very clear giveaway in the first preview that Matt Hagen's rise to fame took place in the Aughts or 2010s. (If not the 2020s.)

One of the teaser's quick-blip shots is of Tom Rhys Harries' character walking in front of adoring fans, with a brightly lit theater marquee in the background. The time-stamping element here is the fan on the left who is clearly using a smart phone to capture a photo or video of Matt walking by. It's impossible to know what make or brand the phone is, to nail down an even more specific year, but suffice to say we're far from 1950s pulp noir here.

Clayface's Magazine Cover Comic Reference Seemingly Confuses Things

Over on Instagram (and other social sites), Warner Bros. and DC Studios had some fun teasing the film's story through in-world media that, after the teaser dropped, went all melty. I love the cleverness behind it, as well as the posts themselves. But this magazine cover is the one that befuddled me. (And not just in the way that magazines aren't as popular as they used to be.)

I'm not entirely sure what this publication is known for filling its pages with, but one can assume only the hottest and most attention-worthy celebs and topics are given focus. Which makes me wonder why this mag would be giving the bands Blister Twister and Ashes on Sunday the same kind of spotlight.

For a nerdy little history lesson: Blister Twister was originally conceived for Batman #412, first published in October 1987, with spoofing the facepainted and hairsprayed look of Dee Snider's metal band Twisted Sister. (Arguably most famous for the anthem "We're Not Gonna Take It.") The additional joke there is that despite the extreme looks, the band played covers of Simon and Garfunkel songs.

Blister Twister is, as far as I can tell, a nearly 40-year-old one-off gag, and not a fictional group that has gained much love and respect over the years. So why would this anti-intuitive '80s spoof band still be relevant enough to be a magazine cover topic at any point when smart phones exist?

Just above Blister Twister is actually another comic book reference that makes a lot more sense for the time-span we're assuming this movie takes place within. Ashes on Sunday was a Burnside band that Black Canary Dinah Drake was part of before she founded the band directly named after her vigilante moniker.

I guess these details confuse me less in terms of Clayface's general time setting, and more about what the hell people in Gotham City are listening to in the modern age. Not that I'm trying to downplay the unique inspiration that Blister Twister might have on others. But if it's showing up on a mocked-up magazine cover social media post, I'm gonna NEED to see a full-on choreographed performance from the fake band within the movie itself.

I can’t say I’m this concerned about timeline specifics regarding most upcoming horror movies, or anything else hitting theaters in 2026, but Clayface taps into the upper echelon of my anticipation hierarchy.

Find it in theaters on October 23, 2026, after it was previously pushed back a month.