The upcoming DC Studios film Clayface is shaping up to be something truly unique in the superhero genre, leaning hard into its horror roots. Currently filming in London, the movie stars Max Minghella, who plays a mysterious character known as “John,” and he recently opened up about the project in an interview with Collider.
Minghella made it clear that fans should expect the movie to fully embrace the disturbing, grotesque qualities that define the classic Batman villain. “I think I can say safely it’s going there,” Minghella said. “It’s a proper movie. It’s a really fantastic script.”
The actor was especially enthusiastic about working with director James Watkins, whose horror credentials run deep.
“I saw that movie when it came out, and it deeply affected me, so I was excited to get that call. I think he’s really kind of uniquely suited to it [Clayface], to be honest. If you look at his whole resume, he’s worked in all these different spaces that sort of equal the movie we’re making, so I can’t imagine anybody else doing it.”
Minghella specifically pointed to Watkins’ chilling 2008 thriller Eden Lake, starring Michael Fassbender, as one of his favorites.
At the heart of the film is Tom Rhys Harries, who takes on the role of Matt Hagen, the second Clayface from the comics. Hagen is the version most fans associate with the character’s shapeshifting mud-monster form, a horrifying power that strips away his humanity.
Set photos have even teased Harries’ painful transformation, giving us a taste of the body horror tone Minghella hinted at.
There are also rumors swirling about another Clayface in the works. Reports suggest Basil Karlo, the original version of the villain, could appear in The Batman: Part II. This version is a former actor who becomes a masked killer, and the recent appearance of Carmen Ejogo’s Eve Karlo in The Penguin may be laying the groundwork for his debut.
Even with those connections, DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has downplayed any crossover between Clayface and The Batman: Part II. The film is firmly set within the new DCU, though fans have spotted a bat-symbol on set that has only fueled speculation.
Clayface is scheduled to hit theaters on September 11, 2026. With its promise of psychological horror, grotesque transformations, and a director who knows how to unsettle audiences, it sounds like DC is ready to take this villain’s story in a bold and terrifying direction.
