Clayface spoilers have dominated the news cycle today, and while we've covered whether Batman appears and what the deal is with the title character's comic-accurate look, it's time to answer the biggest question: is the DCU's Clayface an anti-hero or villain?
Now, the answer to that probably seems obvious. After all, Clayface is one of Batman's most formidable foes, even though he did briefly fight on the side of the angels as part of a group that included Batman, Robin, and Batwoman.
It was actually the newly formed Skydance—Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Pictures—that referred to Clayface as an anti-hero in its blurb about DC Studios on the company's official website. That caused quite a stir, but was it an accurate description?
Well, according to a post-screening leak, Matt Hagen is "very clearly a villain." He does start as an anti-hero when he goes after the people who attacked him, but soon descends into villainy and is, as you might hope, "pretty scummy by the end."
Presumably, in the years that followed, Matt became gradually more unhinged until he became the monster for hire we first met in Creature Commandos.
For what it's worth, the leaker says that Clayface is much better than Supergirl, and writes, "I think critics will say this movie is average, leaning toward good, and I think a lot of the audience opinion will be split, with people liking it on the whole but not thinking it’s anything special. I worry this movie will get similar criticism to the Surf Dracula criticisms of Lanterns."
They continue, "I think Joker will be received better. Joker felt Oscar bait to me but was still enjoyable. Clayface feels like a story in a larger comic universe." That last part is interesting, especially as we know the movie is largely standalone.
Still, with early positive reactions, it does feel like DC Studios is going to bounce back from Supergirl (and the controversy surrounding Lanterns) with this R-rated horror movie. We'll find out soon whether the reviews match those glowing X posts, so stay tuned for more as we have it.
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.