DC's second Clayface trailer has serious Morbius vibes (and we're worried)

Uh oh.

We've been intrigued by DC Studios' "Clayface" movie ever since we found out that horror maestro Mike Flanagan ("The Haunting of Hill House," "Doctor Sleep") was writing the screenplay and that the movie would be an R-rated body horror film set in the DC Universe. And the first trailer was pretty solid, setting the tone for an eerie movie about an actor who is attacked and undergoes an experimental procedure that has some unforeseen consequences.

But this new trailer? It feels more like the Kevin Bacon movie "Hollow Man" than a superhero film (or in this case, supervillain film), and while that could be a good thing on paper, unfortunately the execution is reminding us of "Morbius," one of the most atrocious superhero films ever made. It's possible this is just a wonky trailer, but if the final movie really ends up feeling like this? Yikes.

Read more: 15 Worst DC Comics Movies, Ranked

The Clayface trailer has us very worried

DC is not doing well at the moment. Last year's "Superman" was a hit, but this year's "Supergirl," directed by Craig Gillespie, has not only been a box office disaster, but as time has passed, it's clear that it's become one of the worst-performing superhero movies of all time. Fans who were hopeful about the vision that DC Studios co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran have for this franchise were eagerly awaiting "Clayface" to see what the studio could do with a smaller-budgeted, unusual take on a comic character who has barely been seen in live-action before. In theory, taking creative chances on a smaller property with a smaller budget and putting it in a popular genre package is something that should be encouraged, and might be the only way superhero movies can remain relevant aside from the one or two mega-movies that audiences click with every year. 

But this trailer ... woof. The utter seriousness with which the filmmakers seem to be taking this material, combined with that visibly smaller budget, gives this whole thing a "made for TV" vibe that has us concerned. Matt Reeves' Gotham City and James Gunn's Metropolis feel stylish and authentic, but the locations here feel much faker and more anonymous, like studio backlots instead of real places. I'm not saying there's nothing interesting here — the scissors on the airplane bit seems like it could really get under my skin — but I'm just hopeful that everything works much better in the context of the movie than it does in this trailer. Otherwise, DC Studios may head into a tailspin before it can even reach cruising altitude.

"Clayface" hits theaters on October 23, 2026.

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Read the original article on SlashFilm.