I’ve been extremely busy running New Zealand’s 5th least favourite website, so I thought it was time to relax and enjoy the finer things in life. And what would that mean, I hear you ask? Why committing time and energy to another infamous Movie Preview/Review, of course, silly rabbit.
If you cast your mind back over winter (summer for some of you), I went on a bender, writing Movie Preview/Reviews for Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, Supergirl, The Odyssey, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. I’m going to do Avengers: Doomsday in December, and maybe, just maybe, Wicker in November, but that one is not confirmed. Yet, as the cookie crumbles over the plate, one film has been confirmed for our head writer to explore, and that is Clayface.
I’ve said this before, but I am an old creature of habit, so I’ll be sticking to my non-award-winning template for these preview/reviews. I hope that’s alright, because that’s all I can manage currently as I still enjoy being unconscious at night time.
So…Clayface. This will be DC Studios’ third feature DCU (DC Universe) film after 2025’s Superman and 2026’s Supergirl, which is part of Chapter One: Gods and Monsters. Of course, in saying that, the DCU already exists in the form of many live-action and animated television shows. I have not seen Lanterns yet, as I’m saving that for over the Christmas holidays.
We did see Clayface in Creative Commandos, which was the first entry into the DCU via a television show, which would predate the film…but I’m not sure what world Clayface is set in. However, I am leaning towards James Gunn’s DCU, rather than the offshoot world of Matt Reeves’ Gotham.
I got out of sync with the movie previews/reviews last time, but I remedied the situation by purchasing an advance ticket for Tuesday. I learnt my lesson, so advance tickets are still the way to go. Yes, it’s in the back row, because where else am I going to sit in the theatre?
Sony released a few live-action Spider-Man spin-off films like the Venom trilogy (seen all three), Morbius (not seen), Madame Web (not seen) and Kraven the Hunter (seen). Interestingly, Sony focused on three of Peter’s rogues’ gallery to flesh out their stories. DC and Warner Bros. did this with Black Adam (seen), Joker (seen), and Joker: Folie à Deux (not seen).
They seem to be following the trend of giving a few of the Caped Crusader’s rogues’ gallery some spotlight in the form of Clayface. He has been stirring up trouble for Batman since his first appearance in Detective Comics #40 (June 1940), and he hasn’t stopped. I need to point two things out about Clayface, which make him stand out from the costumed sociopaths and psychopaths that plague Gotham City.
Firstly, Clayface, like Killer Croc, is in a small group of Batman’s villains that actually have superhuman abilities. For this reason, and just like Killer Croc, this makes him a truly scary and underrated character. Secondly, Clayface is unique in another way, because he is a legacy character. So what does that mean?
Basically, a legacy character can be a villain or hero who either takes or is given the title of a pre-existing or established character. They can take the powers, equipment, and costume of the established character, as well as their name. The two characters generally have some sort of connection, but not always. To the best of my understanding, there have been possibly eight different characters that have taken the mantle of Clayface, with one of the most famous being Matt Hagen. And speaking of Matt Hagen, he’s the star of Clayface.
The film cost only US$30–44 million, compared to US$170 million for Supergirl, and US$225 million for Superman. Are DC Studios nervous about another film’s box office performance since both previous DCU film entries slightly underperformed? I have no idea. Also, I need to mention that Clayface is rated R16, at least in New Zealand.
Clayface was written by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, and directed by James Watkins. As for the cast, we have Matt Hagen / Clayface (Tom Rhys Harries), Dr Caitlyn Corr (Naomi Ackie), John Borrelli (Max Minghella), with unrevealed roles with Wil Coban, Ruby Sear, Joshua James, Francesca Corney, David Dencik, Eddie Marsan and Nancy Carroll.
And with that out of the way, let’s dive into the seedy nightlife of Gotham City and see what makes Clayface tick!
Am I looking forward to watching Clayface?
I ask this question of all my prey1, as the answer is always the same: yes. As dedicated followers of this informative echo chamber will attest, one of my goals is to support movies based on comic books; basically, if we stop going to films, the studios will stop making them, and I don’t want that. So, here I am, yet again.
I remember watching Batman: The Animated Series, where Clayface was pure nightmare fuel; so he left an impression on me. For Hagen’s origin, I don’t know if the filmmakers will draw inspiration from Batman: The Animated Series, the comics, or some other place to explain and tell the story, or maybe it’s going to be something original.
Being a legacy Batman villain, I was surprised that the studios gave the green light for a movie about Clayface before Batman, considering there are a lot more famous and iconic villains that could possibly deserve their own movie. But, and hear me out, I wonder if that’s the issue.
From a live-action movie perspective, we have seen the Joker, the Penguin, Catwoman, Two-Face, the Riddler, Mr Freeze, Poison Ivy, Bane, Ra’s al Ghul, Scarecrow, Talia al Ghul, Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Killer Croc, and KGBeast. I think exposing audiences to a new-to-cinema, but old enemy, like Clayface, would be to entice the audience into the theatre. Hell, it’s working for me! Plus, we now have the filmmaking technology to display his powers properly.
What is the movie about?
According to Wikipedia, the premise is this:
After being brutally disfigured by a local mob boss, rising movie star Matt Hagen volunteers as a test subject to restore his original face but experiences a series of horrifying psychological and physical side effects that transform his body into living clay.
To build on this, my local cinema is advertising Clayface as:
“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.
What can we expect?
The running time is 108 minutes, just the same as Supergirl. Not too long, not too short; it’s in the Goldilocks zone.
One thing I’m looking forward to is the special effects, because as I understand it, Clayface’s abilities will be a blend of CGI and practical effects. I’m a fan of practical effects, not shitty and low-quality ones, but ones where you learn later it was a practical effect, and you are in awe of how the filmmakers did that.
In saying that, I also realise the advantages of having a big movie budget, which can bring Clayface to the silver screen. His regeneration, durability, stamina, and strength will be awesome to see, but, let’s face it, it’s his shapeshifting that brings all the boys to the yard. Whether it’s altering his face, body, or, my favourite, changing his limbs into weapons, will be a sight to behold.
I mentioned the budget before, but it needs to be mentioned again. Does DC Studios not fully believe in the film, because they only invested US$30–44 million, which in itself is hilarious, because that’s more money I’ll ever see in my lifetime. The point is that I hope the money has been invested in the plot and special effects, because Clayface is a fascinating character, and I want to see him as a beautiful and tragic nightmare.
One thing we can expect is Hagen going on a revenge rampage, which is why it’s marketed as a horror movie, instead of a supervillain movie. It does make sense, considering he’s a villain and an enemy of Batman; it’s going to be interesting to see how Tom Rhys Harries plays Matt Hagen. Will he be a hero, villain, or anti-hero?
Obviously, the accident (however or whatever it is) changes Hagen, but what was he like beforehand? I understand Hagen will be an actor, like the original Clayface, Basil Karlo. From there, I can only imagine bodies will start appearing.
I also wonder how similar the movie will be to Clayface’s origin in Batman: The Animated Series, with the Feat of Clay storyline. It introduced Matt Hagen, and you were witness to his tragic downfall and his rebirth as Clayface. Later on in my life of absorbing pop culture, Anakin Skywalker’s fall to the Dark Side and rebirth in Star Wars: Episode III- Revenge of the Sith reminded me of Clayface.
I guess I’m not sure what else to expect, as I want the DCU to succeed, so I’m trying to keep an open mind about it.
Do I have concerns?
What type of fan boy would I be if I didn’t have concerns?
- Which world is Clayface set in: Robert Pattinson’s The Batman or David Corenswet’s Superman?
- Since Clayface is set in Gotham, will it be before or during Batman being active?
- Will any famous Gotham citizens make a cameo?
- Will there be any references to former or ex-Clayface characters?
- How many people will Clayface kill?
- What will be the most horrific death?
- Will the plot make any sense?
- Will Hagen be a hero, villain, or anti-hero?
- Will there be a Batman reference?
- What will, if any, the fight scenes look like?
- How much will the movie lean into body horror vs thriller?
- How will Hagen be transformed?
- Will the reduced amount of budget be obvious in the movie?
- Will Hagen’s downfall be tragic, believable or stupid?
I’ll probably leave the theatre cursing myself for not thinking about a particular question, but that always happens. I hope Clayface is a success, though how you define success is up for debate; which I’ll discuss one day. However, it’s not today, nor next week.
It’s that time of year when I need to give you a heads-up about my Mid-Summer break that is coming up, which is just a fancy name for the Christmas holidays. I haven’t worked out the dates yet, but it will be happening in roughly eight weeks.
Thanks again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. Remember to walk your dog, read a banned book, keep watching the Rugby League World Cup, and I’ll see you next week for the Clayface Review. Look after yourself.
1 Who got that reference?
You must be logged in to post a comment.