Clayface (2026)

🌟🌟🌟1/2

Clayface has a longer history in DC comics that most people think, there’s literally 8 Clayfaces. I have said in the past that I think Clayface would be such a great villain to see on the big screen because he has always been a top tier villain in the high standard of Batman’s rogues gallery. However, I said that with the caveat that it would be in a Batman film. So, I had mixed feelings when this movie was announced. The history of Mike Flanagan trying to get this movie off the ground goes back like 3 regimes ago, so I see this movie being marinated in the background giving it the neck up over other projects that are still in development. Still, I think this movie could have waited a few more years to be released.

I understand wanting to put great movies in the forefront, but in a shared comic book movie universe, you should only give villains movies if they’re going to have a major part in the universe moving forward. Gunn has said that he’s doing the Star Wars approach, but this isn’t Star Wars, this a universe that has been screaming for pillars of connectivity in my opinion. After seeing this, do I see Clayface playing a role in the bigger picture? Probably not, but if they put him in a Batman movie then that will be awesome.

Focusing on the movie, I enjoyed it a lot. Would I have seen this if it wasn’t a DC movie? No. Body horror is not my jam (or my jelly) and I watched a good portion of this movie through my hands. From the portions that I did see, I thought the story was great, and I love that at the end of the movie, it’s not clear what Clayface’s status moving forward is. Yes, this is Clayface. And you should be afraid.

You can definitely see the inspirations from the animated series, those 2 episodes scared the poop out of me as a kid, and that concept absolutely grew up with me and into this movie and made me super uncomfortable. I also feel like this movie is unintentionally funny at times, some of the parts that I laughed at were incredibly fickle, but I wasn’t the only person to laugh. I thought that the aesthetic was sooooooo good. If it does end up Matt Reeves movies are indeed separate, it’d be a shame because Gotham here really gave me the same vibes that Battinson could be swinging around on the other side of town. Also, I love that Batman didn’t feel necessary here, yes, he’s supposedly there but Gotham is huge man, people living in big cities know… and I’m sure Batman doesn’t have boom tube fast travel so leave him alone man, he’s probably stuck in traffic!

Tom Rhys Harries is such a good actor (and not getting too into spoilers but the rest of the cast is great too in what is asked of them at times) and you see why he was casted because he’s physically capable of pulling off someone having a distorted face. He does a great job with what he’s given, but there are some plot threads that they just don’t revisit, and it was kind of annoying to not see where somethings go and where some of his motivations come from. I know it’s not the focus but then why try to give him depth if you… don’t give him depth? I also think Naomi Ackie is a fantastic actress, her performance is just good here, again she’s not given so much within the script. As much Gotham looks great, it doesn’t feel much like a character in the film as much as I would like. Our protagonist doesn’t even claim it as his home really and this movie could have happened in any metro city honestly, I didn’t feel like “this is happening because of Gotham” but then I feel like it would bleed too much into Batman territory. Also… why can’t we even say “Batman,” he’s not Voldemort! What’s the point of even telling us he’s in the background? I reiterate, the story doesn’t need his presence, but being in a connected universe needs to account for something for me. The musical score is really good, and if I don’t get the Volker Bertelmann needle drop the next time Clayface shows up, I will rant on this website… Also, lastly as a connected universe snob, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to see this Clayface be the same as the Clayface in the Creature Commandos show… but I can see it.

At the end of the day, this is a good movie. For me, because it’s gross, I doubt I will willingly watch this again, but I already pre-ordered the steelbook so outside of that obligated rewatch I’ll probably be done. Since this movie really depends on whether or not you like the grotesque scenery, all ratings I feel like are justifiable honestly. I liked it a lot and the theater experience went exactly how you think it did. I think if it didn’t have the body horror for me I would have rated this higher, but I just can’t 😩.

In terms of what James Gunn is doing with this universe, I do think this move has year 5 vibes. I always find opinions about movies and shared universes so funny because about 90% of sides of the arguments always have solid points and it just falls into what you prefer. Should a shared comic book movie universe only do the heavy hitters first or should story matter? Gunn has said in nauseum that things won’t get greenlit unless they feel good about a script. My counter to that is that movies are constantly being written until completion. A movie’s story doesn’t end on paper, there’s a reason why the saying “good on paper” is usually followed up by a reason something didn’t work out. Film is changed onset, in the editing room, after test screenings… every part of the movie making experience (I would imagine) is a borderline miracle making process with so many things having to go right. So I think to have Clayface this early is as ambitious as it gets and I just hope that this movie being made puts the brakes on more recognizable characters worth it. Having Clayface so early, I personally feel, is Gunn flexing that he can any character work. I blame Guardians of the Galaxy because those movies gave Gunn the confidence that he can make any character on screen work, and he’s approaching this universe with an indie film maker way of thinking as opposed to a way that a studio head thinks. I’m not saying it’s a terrible thing, I’m just saying that way of pumping out the DCU is either way ahead of its time or infuriatingly and unnecessarily being dragged out.