Clayface Set Photo Reveals a Major Spoiler!

Clayface’s Shocking Fate on Set

Work on Clayface continues in Liverpool, England, and now a massive spoiler has emerged from the set. So far, fans have already seen glimpses of Matt Hagen’s deformed face and the mask he uses to conceal his injuries. However, in addition to those reveals, a shocking newspaper prop has now hinted at what may ultimately be his fate.

The front-page headline of the prop newspaper reads:

“ACTOR MATT HAGEN DEAD!”

This suggests that Hagen may not survive the events of the film. While the character endures the savage beating that drives him to seek a cure for his disfigurement—eventually transforming into Clayface—the newspaper tease hints he could be a one-and-done villain for the DCU.

Of course, this “death” might be a clever cover-up, leaving the world to believe Hagen is gone while he secretly embraces his new identity as one of Batman’s rogues. Still, this set photo feels like a major spoiler for Clayface’s ending, and fans are already speculating about how it will play out on the big screen.

Comic and Animated Origins of Clayface

In the comics, Matt Hagen was the second Clayface—a once-famous adventurer who eventually fell into a radioactive pool of protoplasm, thereby transforming into a monster. Moreover, in Batman: The Animated Series, Hagen took on a very different backstory. In this version, he was an actor addicted to an experimental anti-aging cream. Later, after he crossed its creator, Roland Daggett, the substance ultimately doused him and mutated him into the “classic” Clayface that fans still recognize today.

Writer-director Mike Flanagan, who worked on the first draft of the Clayface script, confirmed that Batman: The Animated Series inspired his vision for the film. He said:

“Of course it was. I mean, that is the perfect [story]. ‘Feat of Clay,’ Ron Perlman, to me, that’s it. That two-parter knocked me out. The short answer is that it is absolutely what inspired my script.”

Flanagan added:

“That is the world I wanted to live in. Batman: The Animated Series, when I was growing up, was my Batman. As much as [Michael] Keaton was my Batman, The Animated Series really was my Batman.”

Behind the Scenes and Release Details

Although James Gunn originally teased Clayface as Flanagan’s passion project, the movie’s creative control has since shifted hands. Drive writer Hossein Amini polished the script, with James Watkins (Speak No Evil) directing.

The cast includes Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen, alongside Eddie Marsan and Max Minghella in supporting roles. Fans can mark their calendars, as the movie will hit theaters on September 11, 2026.

With this new spoiler and the rich comic history of Clayface, expectations are high for a gripping villain story that could redefine the DCU’s roster of rogues.