Checked October 22, 2026, against DC’s official character page and articles, the film’s official site, and UK and Australian classification records.
Clayface is a Gotham shapeshifter, and several people have used the name (DC’s character page). The 2026 film follows one of them, Matt Hagen. That’s the key to most Clayface confusion: when someone says “Clayface,” it’s worth asking which one they mean.
Which Clayface is in the 2026 film?
According to the official film site, Matt Hagen is a Hollywood leading man who is disfigured by a crime boss, seeks out a treatment and turns toward revenge. James Watkins directs, and Tom Rhys Harries stars.
In the comics, DC describes Matt Hagen differently: a treasure hunter who mutated. Same name, different starting point.
The actor angle has a precedent. DC notes that Batman: The Animated Series’ two-part “Feat of Clay” blended Basil Karlo and Matt Hagen, with Matt as an actor (DC). That doesn’t mean the 2026 film retells that episode; it shows that a screen version can mix details from more than one comics Clayface.
The five major comics Clayfaces
DC’s guide to the main versions focuses on five:
| Name | Who they are, per DC |
|---|---|
| Basil Karlo | The original, an actor; at first a killer without shapeshifting powers |
| Matt Hagen | The second, a treasure hunter who mutated |
| Preston Payne | A scientist who treated himself |
| Sondra Fuller (Lady Clayface) | An engineered shapeshifter who can copy metahuman powers |
| Cassius Payne | The child of Preston and Sondra |
DC dates the name to Basil Karlo’s debut in Detective Comics #40 (1940) (DC). That date belongs to Basil and the Clayface name, not to Matt Hagen.
Why do some lists say five and others eight?
Because different DC articles draw the line in different places. The guide above picks five major versions. A later DC article lists eight main Clayfaces, and more than a dozen if Elseworlds, impersonators and offshoots count. Neither is a fixed official census, so when you see a number, check what the list is trying to cover.
What’s confirmed about the release
- North America: in theaters October 23, 2026 (official site).
- International: rollout begins October 21, 2026. That’s a starting date, not every country’s date, so check your local listing.
- UK: the BBFC lists the 2D cinema version at 108 min 20 sec; UK release October 23, 2026 (BBFC record).
- Australia: classified MA15+, with a listed duration of 108 minutes (Australian Classification record).
Each figure comes from that country’s classification record.
Where can you start reading?
For the names, DC’s major-versions guide above is the clearest map. For a story, DC has announced Clayface: Celebrity Dirt, a six-issue 2026 noir horror series about Basil Karlo by writer Jude Ellison S. Doyle and artist Fran Galán. It follows Basil, not the film’s Matt Hagen, so think of it as a companion to the name rather than a version of the movie.
