DC’s ‘Clayface’ drops first look at Tom Rhys Harries’ Matt Hagen and it’s not what you expect
In an exciting turn of events, DC Studios recently dropped the ‘first look’ images of Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen. The recently released image is presented as a diegetic in-universe magazine cover featuring Hagen before his eventual transformation came to pass. Hagen is lit and photographed as an up-and-coming movie star on the magazine cover. It has phrases such as "Future Stars Issue" and "Most Gifted," adding to the tragedy of establishing Hagen as a promising actor before his life went downhill. The Studio shared the first look image via the film's official Instagram page.
The upcoming 'Clayface' movie is scheduled to arrive in theatres on October 23, 2026. Initially, the film was set to be released in September this year, but the release date was subsequently pushed closer to Halloween weekend. 'Clayface' happens to be a part and parcel of the upcoming DCU slate. The upcoming film is directed by James Watkins and also stars Naomi Ackie, Max Minghella, David Dencik, and Eddie Marsan. As is widely known, the plot of the upcoming movie follows a rising Hollywood star who accidentally ends up disfiguring his face. In a desperate attempt to make amends, Hagen turns to a rather unconventional doctor to help him restore his face. As a result of the doctor's treatment, Hagen is transformed into Clayface.
An exclusive preview trailer for 'Clayface' was recently screened at the Las Vegas CinemaCon for film distributors. Although the trailer would not be readily available, as it was specifically created for an exclusive event, the description of the events depicted in the trailer has been making the rounds. The trailer begins with Hagen sitting in a hospital bed with a severely bruised and bloody face and body covered entirely with bandages. The trailer then quickly cuts to show a knife-wielding assailant attacking Hagen, who then has mysterious chemicals being pumped into his body and gaining unusual powers. There are also rapid shots of Hagen's face, which changes continually, at times showing him without a mouth or an eye. Towards the end of the trailer, Hagen is shown sitting in a bathtub and completely wiping off his face.
The official plot synopsis states that the film will "center on an ascending actor whose face is disfigured by a gangster. As a last resort, the actor turns to a fringe Elizabeth Holmes-style scientist for help. At first, the experiment is successful but … well, it wouldn’t be a horror movie if the story ended right there, would it?" Minghella stars as Gotham City detective John, who starts investigating after having suspicions about his fiancée, Caitlin's relationship with Hagen. Ackie, on the other hand, plays the Biotech CEO Caitlin Bates, who treats Hagen after the disfigurement of his face.
