As DC fans eagerly await the release of Clayface, many note key differences and creative liberties that director James Watkins has taken from trailers and special looks alone. Apropos to the design, Clayface has taken many shapes from comics to animated adaptations—but what might be important to keep in mind before going into his first live-action film?
1. Man of Many (Clay)Faces
While Clayface stars Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen, many different characters throughout comic book history have transformed into the iconic villain. Originally an actor donning a clay mask to murder the cast and crew of a film remake, Basil Karlo was the first to take up the Clayface mantle. In most iterations after his comic debut, Clayface begins as a failed actor who becomes addicted to "Renuyu,” a substance provided by The Penguin who forces Karlo into a life of crime in exchange for the drug that eventually drives him insane.
Hagen’s own origins are an even further departure from main timelines, as he was first a treasure hunter who gained his abilities after falling into a pool of protoplasm. Additionally, many other characters have become Clayface, such as Ethan Bennett from The Batman (2004), the Payne family, Sondra Fuller, and Karlo’s own daughter. However, most current comic continuities portray Karlo or Hagen as Clayface.
2. “Feat of Clay” Inspiration
While certainly drawing from an 86-year comic-book history, writer Mike Flanagan said the film is based on a two-part episode from Batman: The Animated Series titled “Feat of Clay.” Those episodes alone explain the noir aesthetic and visual references within the trailer, but they might hint at other plot points or character moments to be featured in the film as well.
In the episodes, The Penguin changes to Ronald Daggett, a corrupt pharmaceutical businessman who tested an early Renuyu trial on Hagen. After agreeing, a steady supply of the drug allows him to shapeshift into anyone he chooses, but he later mutates into the monstrous creature after being forced to overdose on the drug by Daggett’s henchmen Raymond Bell and Germs.
Other notable parts of the episode are Hagen’s attempt to sabotage Daggett’s business on television and the important role his partner, Teddy Lupus, played. The two are heavily implied to be in a romantic relationship, further confirmed by writers and artists of the episodes. While Hagen’s primary love interest in Clayface is likely Caitlyn Corr (Naomi Ackie), he is shown in the trailer enveloping a man into his body while muttering “You broke my heart–” possibly hinting at Flanagan staying truthful to the queer undertones of the character.
3. Creature Commandos debut
As those following the DCU’s projects are already aware, this film marks Clayface’s second appearance in the James Gunn franchise. The character is tonally unidentifiable due to the genre shifting from comedy action to horror noir but is the same nonetheless.
In the respective Creature Commandos episodes titled “Chasing Squirrels" and “The Iron Pot,” Clayface killed and impersonated Professor Aisla McPherson then battled Rick Flag Sr. and Frankenstein. Since these episodes take place after the events of Clayface, assumptions can be made about the character based on his status in the series. Most notably, he works as an associate to crime and murder, allying himself with the Princess of Pokolistan, Ilana Rostovic. Last we see him, Flag and Frankenstein defeat Hagen by electrocuting and leaving him to A.R.G.U.S., maintaining one of his core comic-book weaknesses.
4. Strengths and weaknesses
Being one of Batman’s greatest foes, Clayface has a very memorable skillset that makes him a fearsome fighter. After being horrifically disfigured, Hagen initially sought the Renuyu because it gave him shapeshifting and regenerative abilities. Once he mutates into Clayface, he develops superhuman (or metahuman) strength. His shapeshifting changes from superficial modifications into an accessory for villainy—he can change his size and density or mold and contort himself into weapons (tools, blades, and blunt force objects).
Alongside the aforementioned weakness to electrocution, Clayface has been harmed by water, sonic noise, and his own waning mental stability. Hagen sometimes needs an ongoing supply of the drug to sustain his powers, and full-body transformations are often exhausting to the character.
5. Gotham City references
Clayface features many references to Gotham and the greater DC world, so what might this imply for future characters or plotlines? Behind-the-scenes photos have revealed many possible hints, such as Sionis Industries and Flying Graysons promotions, but, until the official movie is released, these references are yet to be canonically referenced.
The trailers specifically feature the Narrows, a neighborhood in Gotham originally created for Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins (2005) and later integrated into comics; Coast City, Hal Jordan's Californian hometown; Club Vesuvius, a nightclub known for its famous performer and DC heroine Zatanna, as well as villains like Firefly and Ventriloquist; and, lastly, Amusement Mile, a rogue hideout most often associated with the Joker and Nightwing.
While there’s no telling how many of these clues will affect the plot of Clayface, they certainly add texture to the world and greater context of the movie. We can make predictions about the plot, ending, and future DCU installments; appreciate artistic choices, which you can find more of by watching Eyes Without a Face (Georges Franju 1960); and make sense of the genre shift from Creature Commandos.
To find out how the story unfolds, watch Clayface in theaters on October 23.
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