DC Studios' Clayface opens only in North American theaters and IMAX on October 23, 2026, per MovieWeb's final trailer report. Tom Rhys Harries stars as Matt Hagen/Clayface, a Gotham street kid turned Hollywood lead, as Nerdist details in its final trailer breakdown.
Clayface is a shape-shifting DC villain, reimagined here as a disfigured actor. The story follows his fall and revenge after a violent attack and a risky cure. The film serves general theatergoers as the next DC Universe film, meaning the shared DC Universe of linked movies.
Table of Contents
- When and where to watch?
- Who made this horror entry?
- Who stars as Hagen and around him?
- What happens to Matt Hagen?
- How does it fit the DCU?
When and where to watch?
Warner Bros. Pictures distributes the film for North American theaters and IMAX. October 23, 2026 is the date to hold for opening weekend.
The release is theater-only at launch. Plan for a theater ticket rather than a streaming night. Trailers and standees hold back the full final form. The big screen shows the complete transformation first.
- Buy a theater ticket for October 23
- Pick IMAX for the transformation scenes
- Check local listings early for showtimes
Who made this horror entry?
James Watkins directs from a screenplay by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini. ComingSoon describes the project as DC Studios' first horror-led entry in its standee report. James Gunn and Peter Safran produce alongside Lynn Harris and Matt Reeves.
Gunn and Safran lead DC Studios, while Reeves directs The Batman. Horror here means bodily change and fracturing reality. The focus stays on Hagen's changing face and unstable world.
Who stars as Hagen and around him?
Tom Rhys Harries plays Matt Hagen and his Clayface form. Hagen starts as a Gotham street kid who becomes a Hollywood leading man. Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella, Eddie Marsan, Nancy Carroll and Joshua James co-star.
The Playlist lists them in DCU roles around Hagen in its cast report. The ensemble keeps the story tight on Hagen. The plot stays with his rise, injury, treatment and revenge.
What happens to Matt Hagen?
Warner Bros. Discovery's official synopsis says a local crime boss leaves Hagen horribly disfigured. The attack ends his run as a leading man and starts his spiral.
A cutting-edge treatment restores his face but destabilizes reality. The cure fuels all-consuming revenge. Disfigurement triggers his Clayface transformation. Revenge then drives each violent choice.
How does it fit the DCU?
Clayface is the third DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters movie after Superman and Supergirl. DCU means the shared DC Universe of linked films.
It is the first entry centered on a villain rather than a hero. Viewers follow Hagen's fall instead of a hero's rise, so buy a ticket for October 23.