The Clayface Trailer Reveals Batman's Gotham City For James Gunn's DC Universe
by Ryan Scott · /FilmWarner Bros. and DC Studios are continuing to build out the new DC Universe. Last year's "Superman" was just the tip of the iceberg. Not only do we have "Supergirl" coming our way this summer, but we've also just gotten the first teaser trailer for "Clayface," a horror movie set in Batman's world. While we don't see the Caped Crusader in the footage, the film centers on one of his villains and takes place on his home turf.
This is very much just a teaser trailer, but we do get glimpses of Gotham City. What's very important to note is that this is expected to be the main Gotham City in the new DC Universe. Not the one we've seen in Matt Reeves' "The Batman" or in some other universe. "Clayface" is an R-rated, pure body-horror movie set in the DCU, with Tom Rhys Harries as the actor-turned-villain Matt Hagen, one of several people who have taken up this character's mantle in the pages of DC Comics.
"It was important that Clayface be part of the DCU. It's an origin story for a classic Batman villain that we have in our world," DC Studios co-head Peter Safran said during a press event last year attended by /Film writer, Bill Bria. So yes, barring something unexpected, this is technically our first glimpse at the Gotham City of the future, assuming this version of the DC Universe continues after Warner Bros. is potentially acquired by Paramount, since Netflix backed out of its deal.
So, what does this teaser trailer tell us about the new Gotham City of the new DCU? Well, not a whole lot, but just enough to raise an eyebrow if we really examine what we've been given.
Clayface promises a bright Gotham City with a dark underbelly
What stands out is that this looks like a somewhat brighter version of Gotham City, at least compared to the one we saw in "The Batman." There's some neon, a pretty normal-looking Gotham City Police car in broad daylight, and even a rather nice shot of a boat in the harbor that would seem downright quaint without additional context. The trailer also may or may not feature a Joker Easter egg.
Without further context, it very much seems as though Matt Hagen occupies a big, bustling, bright metropolis with a dark, seedy underbelly. One that can leave a rising Hollywood star mangled on the verge of a villain arc. After all, James Watkins directed the horror remake "Speak No Evil," which was very effective. It perhaps shouldn't be surprising that he's aiming for a horrific version of Gotham City.
It's fairly surprising that this is technically our first meaningful glimpse at Gotham in the new DCU. "The Brave and the Bold" is supposed to introduce our new Batman, but that movie still seems a long way off. For now, this is what it is. Gotham City on the big screen without Batman in it. It's not unlike 2019's "Joker" in that way. The difference here is that we know there will be a Batman in this incarnation of Gotham at some point.
Batman is hiding somewhere in Clayface's version of Gotham City
One thing that's hard not to consider in watching this trailer is the fact that, somewhere in all of that cityscape, down one of those alleyways, Batman is lurking in the shadows. We just don't know exactly who that Batman is. The actor hasn't been cast yet, so don't expect a cameo or anything like that.
DC Studios co-head James Gunn has given a definitive answer regarding Robert Pattinson's Batman, saying it's not the plan to have him brought over to the new DCU. So don't expect any sort of surprise crossover or anything like that. This movie's version of Gotham also looks visually distinctive compared to the one Matt Reeves gave us in "The Batman" and HBO's "The Penguin."
As for Ben Affleck, he hung up the cape and cowl after 2023's "The Flash." Affleck could direct a DC Universe movie, but Batfleck is firmly retired. All of this is to say that this movie figures to offer us a window into Batman's world without actually showing us DC's most famous superhero in action. It's a different view of the city he's inseparable from. The synopsis for "Clayface" reads as follows:
"Clayface" unravels one man's horrifying descent from rising Hollywood star to revenge-filled monster in a story that explores the loss of one's identity and humanity, corrosive love, and the dark underbelly of scientific ambition.
The cast also includes Naomi Ackie ("Mickey 17"), David Dencik ("Chernobyl"), Max Minghella ("Industry"), Eddie Marsan ("The World's End"), Nancy Carroll ("The Crown"), and Joshua James ("Andor"). Mike Flanagan ("Doctor Sleep") and Hossein Amini ("Drive") penned the screenplay.
"Clayface" hits theaters on October 23, 2026.