Clayface, a DC Studios film, is read as horror and as a Gotham set-up for Batman
Two opinion pieces on the new DC Universe film Clayface, now in theaters. One places it in the horror roots of superhero comics. The other reads it as groundwork for the franchise's first Batman film.
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The story, neutrally told
Centre · 1Clayface, a DC Universe film starring Tom Rhys Harries as actor Matt Hagen, is now in theaters, and two opinion pieces on 28 October 2026 read it in different ways. Den of GeekN “Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries) could have used his shape-shifting abilities for good”“Clayface is now playing in theaters.” Read at Den of Geek ↗ Centre · 1Den of Geek's Joe George argues that it feels less like a superhero movie than a monster movie, even though it takes place in Gotham City. Den of GeekN “But Clayface doesn’t really feel like a superhero movie, even though it takes place in Gotham City.” Read at Den of Geek ↗ Centre · 1Screen Rant's Zoe Miskelly describes it as a "body-horror-focused scare-fest" and an R-rated supervillain origin story, likely to be a long way in tone from the DCU's first Batman movie. Screen RantN “The body-horror-focused scare-fest of Clayface is likely to be a long way from the tone we get with the DCU's first Batman movie”“which is fitting for a supervillain origin story film” Read at Screen Rant ↗
Centre · 1George traces the character to comics history: Basil Karlo, a horror-film actor, became the first Clayface in Detective Comics #40 (1940) by Bill Finger and Bob Kane. Matt Hagen, a treasure hunter, took on the name later. Den of GeekN “In 1940’s Detective Comics #40 by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, Clayface was the name given to Basil Karlo, a genre movie actor”“Matt Hagen became Clayface when he was treasure hunter” Read at Den of Geek ↗ Centre · 1He argues that superheroes have always had horror roots, citing Golden Age foes such as Solomon Grundy and Marvel's Hulk and Fantastic Four. He also notes that James Gunn called the first era of DC Studios "Gods and Monsters". Den of GeekN “As that origin story shows, superheroes have their roots in horror.”“James Gunn has dubbed the first era of he and Peter Safran’s DC Studios “Gods and Monsters,”” Read at Den of Geek ↗ Centre · 1In George's reading, Hagen could have used his powers for good but gives in to bitterness and rage. The film shows the opposite of heroism, with a glimmer of hope because the setting also has heroes like Batman and Superman. Den of GeekN “he’s too overcome by bitterness and anger”“there’s a hero like Batman and Superman, someone who saves the day” Read at Den of Geek ↗
Centre · 1Screen Rant notes that Batman never appears in the film. It says Dr. Caitlyn Corr, a scientist treating Hagen, and her fiancé, police officer John Borrelli, handle events instead, with Borrelli getting the detective plotline that would usually go to Batman. Screen RantN “With the Dark Knight entirely absent from the story, it ends up being between well-intentioned scientist Dr. Caitlyn Corr and her fiance John Borrelli”“John gets the detective plotline that would usually go to Batman in this kind of story.” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Centre · 1According to Screen Rant, Borrelli is killed off-screen by Clayface in the final act, and Clayface then impersonates him to show Corr the body. It argues this shows why Gotham needs Batman, given the powers of its villains and a legal system and police force it says organized crime has corrupted. Screen RantN “Borrelli's reward for all this is him being killed off-screen by Clayface in the final act of the movie”“Batman's place in Gotham is doubly crucial here” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Centre · 2Both pieces connect the film to the wider DC Universe: George notes that Clayface appears in season one of Creature Commandos, which takes place after the film's events, and Screen Rant says the film follows Creature Commandos' Batman tease. Den of GeekN “we already saw Clayface in season one of Creature Commandos, which takes place after the events of this movie” Read at Den of Geek ↗ Screen RantN “following Creature Commandos' Batman tease” Read at Screen Rant ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre2 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets run opinion pieces. Den of Geek reads Clayface as a monster film that returns superheroes to their horror roots. Screen Rant treats it as groundwork for the DCU's Gotham and its first Batman film.
- Emphasis
- Den of Geek stresses comics history and genre lineage. Screen Rant stresses plot detail, Borrelli's role as stand-in detective, and why Gotham needs Batman.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither piece covers reviews, box office or production. Screen Rant's piece is plot-heavy and spoiler-laden. Den of Geek's is lighter on spoilers.
- Charged language
- “body-horror-focused scare-fest”“Gloopy mass of molten flesh”
- For example
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“Instead when Hagan lets out a roar, full of sorrow and rejection, it becomes clear that Clayface is a monster movie.” — Den of Geek
“The body-horror-focused scare-fest of Clayface” — Screen Rant
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Clayface is a DC Universe film set in Gotham City, centred on actor Matt Hagen's transformation into a monster.
- The film is a body-horror origin story, and Batman does not appear in it.
- The film connects to Creature Commandos and the DCU's planned Batman film.
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre2 articles
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Den of GeekN · · Opinion
Clayface Remembers Comics Are About Monsters and Horror as Much as Superheroes
Sympathetic Praises the film for returning superheroes to monster and horror roots, backed by a history of comics.
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Screen RantN · · Opinion
Clayface Used The Perfect Batman Hero Replacement To Set Up The Dark Knight’s Debut
Sympathetic Presents the film's Batman stand-in as a smart set-up for the DCU, justifying Batman's place in Gotham.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 28 Oct 13:00 First Den of GeekN Clayface Remembers Comics Are About Monsters and Horror as Much as Superheroes Opinion
- 28 Oct 16:15 +3h 15m Screen RantN Clayface Used The Perfect Batman Hero Replacement To Set Up The Dark Knight’s Debut Opinion
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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