The new teaser for Clayface dropped on April 22, 2026, and it is not what people expected from a typical superhero movie. Instead of big action scenes, the trailer shows a man wrapped in blood-soaked bandages, melting skin, and a face that turns into a blank clay void. Director James Watkins and writer Mike Flanagan have made a pure body-horror film set inside James Gunn’s DC Universe (DCU) . The movie stars Tom Rhys Harries as actor Matt Hagen, who becomes the shape-shifting monster after a brutal attack. With a release date set for October 23, 2026, right before Halloween, the project proves that DC is willing to take big risks. This move has started a major conversation among fans online: If DC can make a scary movie about a lesser-known Batman villain, which other bad guy deserves their own solo film?
A Terrifying Trailer That Changes the Rules
The one-minute teaser for Clayface does not have any dialogue. It only shows Harries in a hospital bed with red eyes staring through bandages. Quick flashes reveal how he got hurt, followed by his body breaking down like wet dirt. The final shot shows him wiping his face clean, leaving nothing but a smooth, empty surface where his features used to be. This style reminded many viewers of classic horror movies like The Fly and Darkman. One fan on X wrote, “Clayface looks absolutely incredible. A truly scary spin on one of Batman’s coolest villains.” Another user called it a “beautifully dark twisted trailer with a creepy ass horror remix” of The Flaming Lips song “Do You Realize??”. James Gunn previously explained that when Mike Flanagan turned in the script, “it’s one of the best scripts that we’ve read,” which is why the studio decided to make the movie even though they originally had no plans for it.
Why Fans Want More Villain Solo Movies
With Clayface showing that a B-list villain can carry a movie, fans are now listing which villains should be next. Many believe that DC Studios is creating a new path where every project can be a different genre. If Superman is a bright, optimistic action film, then Clayface proves that a tragic horror story can exist in the same universe. This strategy makes sense because comics themselves cover many genres, from crime noir to sci-fi to gothic horror. Fans on social media are already pitching their top choices for the next standalone villain film. There is strong support for giving other rogues the same deep, character-driven treatment that Clayface is getting.
The Scarecrow (Doctor Jonathan Crane)
Among the most requested villains is Scarecrow. Fans argue that if Clayface can use body horror, Scarecrow can bring psychological horror to the DCU. As a master of fear who uses a toxin to make people see their worst nightmares, a Scarecrow movie could look like a dark thriller similar to Se7en or The Cell. The character is a Batman villain, but much like Clayface, he does not need Batman to drive the story. A film could follow his experiments at Arkham Asylum or show how he tests his fear gas on a small town. Because the director of Clayface is known for horror (The Woman in Black), fans want a director like Robert Eggers or Ari Aster to handle Scarecrow’s mind-bending visuals.
Deathstroke (Slade Wilson)
Deathstroke is another name that comes up constantly. Unlike the supernatural horror of Clayface, Deathstroke represents action-thriller territory. As a super-soldier assassin with a healing factor and genius-level intellect, a solo movie would be a hard-R action film in the style of John Wick. Fans want to see his complicated family history, especially his conflicts with his sons. There were reports that a Bane and Deathstroke film was in early development, but fans are eager for an update. Since James Gunn has confirmed that the DCU will tell stories across different genres, an assassin thriller fits perfectly alongside the horror of Clayface.
The Reverse Flash (Eobard Thawne)
Reverse Flash is one of the most hated villains in comics, and fans think that makes him perfect for a lead role. Unlike a typical villain who wants money or power, Eobard Thawne wants to destroy The Flash simply because he is jealous. A Reverse Flash movie could be told from the villain’s point of view, showing how a fan from the future turned into a monster. This could be a time-travel horror story where the main character slowly loses his mind trying to become his hero. Because the character can travel through time, the movie could show him changing history in cruel ways, which fits the dark tone that Clayface has established.
Bizarro
Bizarro offers a different kind of story. As an imperfect clone of Superman with broken speech and opposite powers, a Bizarro film would feel like a tragic drama. Fans imagine a movie similar to Frankenstein, where a confused creature only wants to do good but cannot because his powers work backwards. He might try to save a cat but accidentally crush a car. Directors could mix comedy with deep sadness, showing a monster who does not understand why everyone is afraid of him. Because DC is releasing a Superman movie in July 2025, introducing Bizarro later as a mirror version would be a logical and emotional step for the universe.
Ra’s al Ghul
For fans who want a grand, epic scale, Ra’s al Ghul is the top pick. As the centuries-old leader of the League of Assassins, his movie could span hundreds of years. Viewers could see him in different time periods, from medieval battles to modern cities, using the Lazarus Pit to cheat death. Unlike the small, personal horror of Clayface, a Ra’s al Ghul film would be a global spy thriller mixed with fantasy. It could also connect to The Brave and the Bold Batman film, as Ra’s al Ghul is the grandfather of Damian Wayne. This would tie the solo villain movie directly into the larger DCU storyline without feeling forced.
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor remains the most obvious choice. Played by Nicholas Hoult in the upcoming Superman film releasing this summer, Luthor represents the “evil businessman” genre. A solo movie could be like The Social Network or Succession, but with mad science and armor suits. Fans want to see Luthor not as a cackling villain, but as a complicated man who truly believes he is saving humanity from an alien threat. Because he has no superpowers, his movie would rely on smart dialogue, legal battles, and corporate takeovers, ending with him building the warsuit to fight Superman himself. This contrasts sharply with the physical, gross horror of Clayface.
The Body Horror That Started the Conversation
The excitement for future villain movies all comes back to what Clayface is doing right now. The teaser shows Matt Hagen’s hand sinking into his own face, leaving a featureless mask. The hospital scenes look cold and real, not like a colorful comic book. James Gunn himself said the film is “true and psychological and body horror and gross.” The budget is reportedly $60 million, which is low for a superhero movie but high for a horror film. This smart budgeting means the movie does not need to make a billion dollars to be successful. It just needs to scare audiences.
The cast includes Naomi Ackie, Max Minghella, and Eddie Marsan. Matt Reeves, who directed The Batman, is also a producer, ensuring that the dark tone stays consistent with the more grounded Gotham City stories. The film will release in IMAX as well as standard theaters. For global audiences, the release time for the trailer was set for 12:00 pm ET in the US, 5:00 pm BST in the UK, and 9:30 pm IST in India.
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Fan Reactions Push for More R-Rated Villains
Social media exploded with praise for the risk DC is taking. One user summed up the feeling by saying, “I am so glad that they are going full shape-shifting clay monster, and not doing the typical live-action thing of only just giving him a malleable face.” Others pointed to the creative team behind the camera. “The fact that Mike Flanagan wrote this film and adapted the Matt Hagen storyline from Batman TAS has me really excited,” said another fan. This trust in Flanagan, who made The Haunting of Hill House and Doctor Sleep, gives fans confidence that the story will be smart and scary. Because the movie is rated R, it allows the filmmakers to show the real pain of transforming into a monster. Many viewers are now asking DC to keep this R-rating for future villain films, specifically naming Lobo, The Joker, and Black Adam as characters who need the freedom to be violent and adult-oriented.
Release Info and Streaming Details for Clayface
Clayface is scheduled to hit theaters on October 23, 2026. The release date was moved from an earlier September slot specifically to place it in the Halloween corridor, which shows that Warner Bros. is marketing this as a horror event rather than a summer blockbuster. The film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and will be available in English and Hindi in India, as well as other local languages depending on the region. For audiences in the USA, UK, Canada, and Australia, the film will have a wide theatrical release. As of now, no streaming date has been announced for Max (formerly HBO Max), but given DC’s usual window, it will likely arrive on the platform in early 2027. Pre-sale tickets are expected to go live around September 2026.
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