To build hype for the next DCU movie, early Clayface screenings are currently taking place in select theaters around the world. Inevitably, spoilers have begun leaking online, answering some huge questions about the DC Studios R-rated horror movie in the process.
Much has been said about Clayface being released before The Brave and the Bold. The animated Creature Commandos confirmed Batman is active in Gotham City, but as far as we're aware, the role still hasn't been cast.
Clayface seems a perfect opportunity to start introducing Batman lore in the DCU, but here's the kicker: not only does Batman never appear in Clayface, but he's also not referenced. That makes it a lot like Sony Pictures' villain-led movies, which also stopped short of ever mentioning Spider-Man.
This leak has also confirmed that the rumours about Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul making an appearance in Clayface are false, so no, he's not the DCU's Dark Knight.
In fact, it's said that there are zero references to the wider DCU, no mention of any other Batman villains, and not even a vague tie-in to Creature Commandos, which featured the villain's DCU debut. The Gotham City gangster who scars Matt Hagen is a newly created character, so in terms of Easter Eggs, they're largely nonexistent.
In fact, Clayface sounds like a fully standalone DC movie akin to Joker, and this leaker "got no sense of Batman or even Bruce Wayne's presence."
While many fans will be relieved that the Justice Gang doesn't show up on the hunt for Matt, others may argue that not taking this chance to flesh out the DCU's Gotham was a missed trick. Now, it's down to next summer's Man of Tomorrow to potentially add Batman to the mix.
In Clayface, Matt Hagen’s meteoric rise from Gotham street kid to Hollywood leading man is tragically cut short when a local crime boss’s actions leave him horribly disfigured. Abandoned by his team and with nothing left, Matt seeks out a cutting-edge treatment that miraculously returns him to his former self, but also unexpectedly affects his grip on reality, spiralling him down a destructive path of all-consuming revenge.
The movie stars Tom Rhys Harries in the title role of the cult-favourite villain from Gotham's rogues' gallery. The cast includes Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella and Eddie Marsan, as well as Nancy Carroll and Joshua James.
James Watkins directs from a screenplay by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, with Flanagan also getting a "Story by" credit. Clayface is produced by Matt Reeves, Lynn Harris, James Gunn and Peter Safran, with Michael E. Uslan, Chantal Nong Vo, Lars P. Winther, Rafi Crohn and Paul Ritchie executive producing.
Watkins' creative team includes director of photography Rob Hardy, production designer James Price, editor Jon Harris and costume designer Keith Madden. Volker Bertelmann (Conclave) is the movie's composer.
Clayface will be released in theaters on October 23.