Clayface trailer unveils body horror and tragic origin story at Comic-Con

As San Diego Comic-Con kicks off tomorrow, DC Studios and Warner Brothers have dropped the first full trailer for "Clayface," part of the DC Universe's "Gods and Monsters" arc. The project originally came from Mike Flanagan, the horror master behind "The Haunting of Hill House" and "Midnight Mass." Flanagan was inspired by the 1992 "Feat of Clay" episode of "Batman: The Animated Series," aiming to blend body horror with a tragic thriller. DC Studios CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran loved the pitch and brought it into their rebooted DCU. However, Flanagan had to step down due to scheduling conflicts, and James Watkins took over as director. Gunn has stated that the final script retained Flanagan's original story, with Hossein Amini doing some rewrites.

The film will tell the origin story of Matt Hagen's incarnation of Clayface, who was first introduced in the animated "Creature Commandos" series, voiced by Alan Tudyk. Per the official premise: Matt Hagen's meteoric rise from Gotham street kid to Hollywood leading man is tragically cut short when a local crime boss's actions leave him horribly disfigured. Abandoned by his team and with nothing left, he seeks an experimental treatment that miraculously restores his appearance but also affects his grip on reality, spiraling him into a path of all-consuming revenge. The original shape-shifting villain from the 1940s was a successful actor before turning to crime, a nice callback to the character's long history.

Tom Rhys Harries ("Doctor Who," "The Gentlemen") stars as Hagen/Clayface, alongside Naomi Ackie ("Mickey 17") as Dr. Caitlin Bates, a "fringe" scientist and love interest. Max Minghella ("The Handmaid's Tale") plays a Gotham City police detective who happens to be dating Bates. The cast also includes Eddie Marsan, David Dencik, Francesca Corney, Ruby Sear, and Wil Coban in undisclosed roles.