Clayface Set Photo Teases How The Title Character Will Look In The DC Flick, And It’s Got Me More Pumped Than I Expected

Tom Rhys Harries has been spotted on the set of the upcoming DC movie, Clayface, scripted initially by Mike Flanagan, and the first look at his Matt Hagen is gnarly in all the best ways. The newly surfaced images show just how unsettling this take on the shape-shifting baddie might be, and if DC’s choice to give the character his own spotlight didn’t already grab your attention, this could do it. Honestly, it has me more excited than I ever expected to be for a standalone villain movie.

The photos posted to Reddit show White Lines star Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen and, as teased before, total nightmare fuel, as his face looks like it’s barely holding together. Hagen is specifically bandaged, bloodied and drooping in places that look almost clay-like. All in all, it’s a jarring first glimpse that leans into the territory of the best body horror movies.

So far, the responses from fans online have been quick and passionate. While scrolling through comments, a person can feel the hype building. Here are some of the best takes floating around right now:

• “Jesus Christ, his face is falling off...um...his face.” – u/WySLatestWit
• “Script written by Mike Flanagan. Based on the Batman TAS episode ‘Feat of Clay.’ And this shot of what we can expect for the make-up effects. I’m trying not to get too hyped up in case it comes out bad, but man is it hard.” — u/LegalAssassin13
• “It’s gonna be a Fly situation. Where we probably won’t see the clay monster form until the end.” — u/RNOffice
• “... I want it to feature the ability, not show case it. Similar to Godzilla 2014 that was a creature feature. You barely got to see him and when he was on screen, it was quiet and stunning. Plot aside, the choices to not use him a lot were genius.” — u/Nacho_Dan677
• “Visually they picked a perfect actor, his eyes transmit pain like I’ve never seen before it’s impressive.” — u/NuuuDaBeast
• “Now that’s a proper fucked up scarred face.” — u/Specter29

What grabs my attention most about this new set photo is how much it leans into Clayface’s horror roots, particularly the tone fans remember from his classic Batman: The Animated Series arc, "Feat of Clay," which is streamable with a Prime Video subscription.

In Batman: The Animated Series, Clayface’s origin was told in the two-part arc, where Matt Hagen, a washed-up actor scarred in a car accident, becomes addicted to Roland Daggett’s experimental cosmetic compound, “RenuYou.” Forced into crime and ultimately overdosing on the substance, Hagen mutates into the monstrous Clayface — a tragic figure who can reshape his body but is trapped in a nightmare of his own making.

If the film leans into that foundation, fans could be looking at a revenge-driven body horror, with Hagen targeting Daggett and those who exploited him. Done right, it has the potential to be a chilling mix of noir and horror, more in line with a monster movie than we have come to expect from new superhero movies. Since the film is also set in the DCU continuity, it also remains to be seen if Harries' Hagen is the same monster who wreaked havoc in Creature Commandos.

While Mike Flanagan penned the script, he won’t be stepping behind the camera himself, likely because he’s juggling big projects like the next installment in The Exorcist franchise and his long-gestating adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower. Instead, the film was officially greenlit with Speak No Evil director James Watkins behind the camera, which only bolsters the project's horror movie bona fides.

If DC sticks the landing, this could be one of the boldest entries in comic book cinema yet — a villain-led tragedy wrapped in a revenge horror tale. Count me in. Clayface is currently slated to hit the 2026 movie release schedule on September 11.