‘Clayface’ Leaks Confirm Comic-Accurate Monster Design
We don’t know much more about DC Studios’ next big theatrical release, Clayface, than we did when the trailer dropped months ago. Its release date creeps ever closer, despite the film still having time on its side. But, more immediately, we have San Diego Comic-Con around the corner, so it’s incredibly likely more and more inside info will trickle out in the coming weeks.
The most salient lingering question fans have about DC’s Cronenbergian gamble is this: Will Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries) actually mutate into the ugly, malleable mound of mud they remember from Batman: The Animated Series and every noteworthy appearance thereafter?
If new leaks are to be believed, then the filmmakers understand better than anybody that Hagen’s tragic destiny is non-negotiable. One of the latest test screening reactions defies earlier rumors and claims Hagen “transforms multiple times,” with his hands and arms bubbling whenever he loses control of his form. These transformations build to a “full transformation later on” in the film that is said to heavily resemble that classic BTAS Clayface.
Going by the film’s cinematic inspirations — which include The Substance and The Fly as much as BTAS — this is exactly what we should expect. And those expectations should be rewarded; DC Studio heads James Gunn and Peter Safran have confirmed Clayface will be pure R-rated horror, a massive departure from traditional capes, corny one-liners, and slugfests.
Moreover, screenwriter Mike Flanagan had BTAS’s iconic “Feat of Clay” saga firmly in mind when writing the treatment adapted for the film. That two-part arc introduced the world to the influential revamp of Hagen and delivered a monstrous, heart-wrenching payoff. Without that definitive, tragic look, the story just isn’t the same.
Clayface might struggle with the DC branding attached, but it’s also coming out during a strong year for horror. Even after Supergirl, the film has a tenable chance of defying a downward trend and finding shape in another.
