The way James Gunn is establishing the new DC Universe is similar to his entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Superman got the ball rolling last year, but now comes the part where Gunn begins pushing the boundaries of what can be done creatively, with characters that are less familiar to casual audiences. It reminds me of when he debuted the Guardians of the Galaxy to the MCU, and turned them into, arguably, Marvel’s most popular superteam. And now he’s elevating another relatively unknown character with Clayface, a horror movie set in the DCU version of Batman’s world.
The new Clayface teaser has arrived, and it clearly positions the film as a body horror set within the DCU. Directed by James Watkins (The Woman in Black) from a script credited to Mike Flanagan (Doctor Sleep) and Hossein Amini (Drive), the film stars Tom Rhys Harries as a reimagined Matt Hagan aka Clayface, a struggling actor whose face is disfigured, so he turns to a scientist who transforms him into a rage-filled monster made of clay.
Also in the cast are Naomi Ackie, Max Minghella, Eddie Marsan, David Dencik, Nancy Carroll, and Joshua James.
This won’t be Clayface’s first DCU appearance, either, as he was voiced by Alan Tudyk in episodes of Gunn’s animated Creature Commandos series.
It’s interesting to see how Gunn and Co. are going to present Gotham City, and how it will differ from what Matt Reeves is doing. Too bad we won’t see Batman himself…or will we?
SYNOPSIS: DC Studios’ first-ever foray into the genre, “Clayface,” is a riveting horror thriller from director James Watkins, starring Tom Rhys Harries in the title role of the Gotham City villain. “Clayface” unravels one man’s horrifying descent from rising Hollywood star to revenge-filled monster in a story that explores the loss of one’s identity and humanity, corrosive love, and the dark underbelly of scientific ambition.
Clayface hits theaters on October 23rd.
