Clayface director reveals how many times he had to redesign the DC villain's final form

Clayface's final form was reshaped nearly 20 times before it was settled on (Image credit: DC Studios/Warner Bros. Pictures) Clayface's director says nearly 20 different versions of the villain's final form were madeTwo animated series were key influences on the design that was eventually settled onJames Watkins also confirms he was given "free rein" to make it as grotesque as possible Full spoilers follow for Clayface, including its finale. The director of Clayface has revealed that the DC villain's live-action form was reshaped nearly 20 times before the final design was locked in.Ahead of the body horror movie's release in late October, I sat down for an exclusive chat with James Watkins to discuss how the latest DC Universe (DCU) flick was sculpted.About midway through our conversation, I steered it into full spoiler territory, including how Watkins and company brought the Batman rogue to life not only in live-action for the first time, but also in all of his grotesque glory.Unsurprisingly, there have been many iterations of the character in myriad DC comic book runs, video games, and animated offerings, the latter of which counts beloved Saturday morning cartoon Batman: The Animated Series among its number. Matt Hagen's full transformation is held back until the final minutes of the film's third act (Image credit: DC Studios/Warner Bros. Pictures)With the aforementioned program's two-part tale 'Feat of Clay' serving as a key inspiration for Clayface, was that the primary influence for the eponymous antagonist's final design? Or did other versions of the character also serve to inform Matt Hagen's full transformation into the metamorphosing monstrosity?Read more of my exclusive Clayface coverage"We looked at all the comics," Watkins said, "We also looked at 'Feet of Clay' and Creature Commandos, so there are a lot of versions we looked at, and then we were mindful of it [the final design] having to look right in live-action, rather than just as [if it's been pulled from] a comic book."I guess the key thing for this interpretation is the emotion," Watkins continued. "We spent hours obsessing about the pain in his eyes, the pain in his voice when he screams, the man trapped inside the monster, and the sense of that duality that I guess he has. We made about 17 different versions trying to find the monster, while also making sure that we could identify [Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen]."Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Creature Commandos season 1, which came out in late 2024, marked Clayface's official debut in the DCU (Image credit: Max)Watkins name-dropping Creature Commandos won't come as a shock to fans. The adult animated show, which was also the first DCU Chapter One project to be released, included Clayface as part of its plot, with Hagen's alter-ego having a small but significant role to play.So, when it came to moulding Clayface's live-action design, was Watkins limited by the character's prior animated appearance?"No, I had free rein," the filmmaker revealed. "It was all on me."Heading out to see Watkins' latest feature this weekend? Read my Clayface review before you do. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. As TechRadar's senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You'll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest. An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as this Moon Knight TV spot. Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across. Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.