‘Clayface’ Director James Watkins Explains Introducing Gotham City to the DC Universe and

A closer look at ‘Clayface’ Director James Watkins Explains Introducing Gotham City to the DC Universe and

What Clayface is in this movie

Clayface here is an R-rated body horror take on the Matt Hagen version of the villain. The film follows Matt Hagen, an A-list actor who is disfigured, undergoes an experimental procedure and slowly turns into a clay-covered, shape-shifting monster who kills those who wronged him and ends up living in the sewers. The version draws on Matt Hagen rather than Basil Karlo to make the character feel more relatable in a contemporary-feeling Gotham.

What you actually see and how they made it

The movie blends practical filmmaking with effects: many face-swapping moments were achieved in-camera using old-school wipes, pillars and stunt work rather than being purely digital. Contortionists and stunt performers were used for some sequences, and the production experimented with many looks - the director mentions roughly 19 different iterations when deciding on the final Clayface design.

Gotham City and a small cameo

This film gives the first live-action look at Gotham City in the rebooted DC Universe, intended to feel oppressive and slightly timeless with influences from 1930s German expressionist cinema and gritty New York street photography of the 70s-90s. There is a brief cameo: Aaron Paul appears in a quick transformation scene as Matt’s father.

Questions people ask about ‘Clayface’ Director James Watkins Explains Introducing Gotham City to the DC Universe and

Does the article include spoilers?

Yes, the piece warns it contains spoilers for Clayface and describes the film’s ending and key plot points.

Is this Clayface the same as comic versions?

The film references many comic versions but specifically follows the Matt Hagen iteration, cherry-picking elements from across the comics while aiming for a contemporary tone.

How did the filmmakers approach the look of Gotham?

They aimed for an oppressive, character-like city mixing noir lighting, neon and dirt, drawing on expressionist cinema and older New York street photography to set it apart from brighter DC cities.}]}

‘Clayface’ Director James Watkins Explains Introducing Gotham City to the DC Universe and was shared on NexURLs by Nexis on October 26, 2026, in Movies & TV.