A new menace is looming over Gotham City in James Gunn’s blossoming DC Universe. Following the sequence of 15 forgettable films that constituted the less-than-spectacular DC Extended Universe, beginning with Man of Steel (2013) and ending with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023), James Gunn has begun planting the seeds for a much needed DC film universe rebirth. Currently consisting of recent projects such as the Peacemaker TV-series, the Creature Commandos TV-series, the well-received Superman (2025) and the upcoming Supergirl (2026), it looks as if this universe is finally about to receive its first installment with a villain protagonist — none other than Matt Hagen, known to the residents of Gotham City as Clayface.
The first official teaser for this intriguing addition to the DCU franchise was released on April 22 and was nothing short of disturbing. It set the tone not only for the film itself, but for Gunn’s general storytelling approach within the DCU, which I can’t help but be excited about. In the words of Gunn himself, “Clayface is not a ‘hybrid superhero horror film,’ it is a horror film.” The film will be set chronologically prior to Superman (2025), Supergirl (2026) and next year’s Man of Tomorrow (2027). Fans can expect a gritty, intimate look at the psychological and physical descent of up-and-coming actor turned shape-shifting villain Matt Hagen. The film will prioritize standalone storytelling — a breath of fresh air for fans tired of the same old superhero movie formula that has dominated theatres for the last decade, seeming to undervalue intimate character development in exchange for more action-packed plots.
The teaser opens on a disfigured Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries), lying bloodied in his hospital bed with bandages obscuring all but his eyes and mouth, which form a deeply unsettling expression that seems to pierce right through the viewer. We are shown split-second flashbacks to Hagen’s attractive-rising-star past while a distorted version of “Do You Realize??” by the Flaming Lips plays in the background. One flashback shows Hagen being attacked by a gangster who is in the process of disfiguring his face with a knife. In the next flashback, Hagen appears in a haunting mask reminiscent of The Phantom of the Opera. The next cuts to him being injected with a syringe filled with a reddish fluid — presumably Renuyu: the dangerous and highly addictive cosmetic which Hagen attempted to use to regain his original appearance in the comics, though an overdose ultimately led to his transformation into Clayface.
The next cutaway shows him looking at his reflection in a window as his face begins to melt uncontrollably. In the next scene, he runs through an alleyway, perhaps attempting to hide his melting face, before it cuts to him screaming in his hospital bed with his face still melting. In between all of these cutaways, we continue to zoom in on the original shot of Hagen’s soul-piercing stare. The following shot depicts Dr. Caitlin Bates (Naomi Ackie), Hagen’s love interest and the biotechnologist who gives him Renuyu, walking through a dark, graffiti-covered tunnel. We see more shots of Hagen’s melting face, along with a petri dish containing the clay-like protoplasm that makes up Clayface’s body. We see a shot of a ship floating alongside a Gotham City port, followed by multiple shots of Hagen attacking different men. We also get a shot of Hagen’s silhouette cast against a brick wall, his arm shapeshifting into a giant mace — a Clayface classic. The final, prolonged shot depicts Hagen lying in a bathtub with a dissociative expression before wiping his face completely off with his hand.
It goes without saying that this teaser didn’t pull any punches in the horror department. We, as the viewers, now know exactly what we’re getting into, and it’s exciting. This film will explore the consequences of excessive vanity — a theme that could not be more relevant in today’s society, where trends like looksmaxxing have taken the internet by storm and superficiality dominates not only Hollywood but even day-to-day American life — and what happens when all vanity is stripped away from someone who valued it too much. The use of the song “Do You Realize??” for this trailer was genius. “Do you realize that you have the most beautiful face?” the singer asks, subtly communicating to the audience that it was Hagen’s idolization of his own beauty that catalyzed his psychological descent in response to his physical disfigurement. The trope of Hagen’s face uncontrollably melting while he appears to be in public settings reveals the inadequacy of his treatment and the permanence of his suffering, while also disturbing the viewer on a more superficial level through body horror.
I have to say, I just can’t wait for the next teaser to be released. I don’t want to jinx it, but I have a lot of faith in what James Gunn is doing with the DCU project and its implications for superhero storytelling as a whole. I believe we are seeing the return of the standalone film within large franchises, and with it, a higher priority for intimate character development and a desire to actually incentivize action sequences with compelling build-up rather than just throwing action all over the place. As a longtime Batman fan and someone who appreciates the unique human flaws represented by each of his nemeses, I cannot wait to see this unfiltered take on Clayface and how it introduces pure horror into Gunn’s DC film franchise.
Jordan White is a member of the Class of 2029 in the College of Arts and Sciences. He is a columnist for the Arts & Culture department and can be reached at jiw39@cornell.edu.
