Warning: SPOILERS AHEAD for Clayface! So, before proceeding, be aware that you've been warned.
Ever since I heard Clayface was being adapted into a live-action movie for James Gunn’s DCU, one question dug into me: “How is he going to look?” And, now that I’ve seen this DC film, I can say the movie cleverly puts Matt Hagen in all sorts of different shapes before arriving at his iconic monstrous form by the very end. Now that my big query about the movie has been answered, it’s time to talk about what happened in the final scene. With that, CinemaBlend got some interesting insight from director James Watkins about Clayface's final look, too.
Let's Explain Clayface's Final Scene
Clayface has an unexpected conclusion, and for me, that's greatly because it’s much more standalone than I thought it would be. Even though the movie is set in Gotham City, where Batman and many members of his Rogues Gallery live, the film remains an isolated story throughout. By the end of the film, Matt’s psyche has completely unravels, as he kills off everyone who has wronged him. The former actor even murders Dr. Caitlyn Corr’s husband in the hopes she’ll be with him instead.
In realizing that she’s created her own Frankenstein, Caitlyn decides to enact the kill switch on Matt, and she seemingly succeeds. However, the final sequence of the movie reveals Matt is still very much alive (though that's also known from Creature Commandos). He’s living on the streets and still lusting over Caitlyn. And, in a chilling moment, Hagen uses his unique abilities to turn into both himself and Caitlyn at the same time as he imagines being with her. But, he’s not really with Caitlyn anymore. He’s completely alone and fully a tragic creature. At least, that’s how I read the ending anyway.
Clayface's Director Breaks Down The Character's Final Form
So, let’s talk about Clayface’s final form. This is inherently not an easy character to bring into a live-action film, but I think Watkins and co. succeed in bringing the Batman baddie to life on the big screen. Most notably, what I really love is rather than the character having empty glowing eyes, Matt keeps some of his humanity, as one blue eye still visible in monster form. Here’s what Watkins told us about deciding on what the final Clayface look would be:
One of the things I really responded to in [Mike] Flanagan's first script was, as I say, the tragedy of the character and where you end up. And, the notion of the origination of this Clayface, and then the final building throughout the film to the reveal of [him], but also to the sense of the man within the monster. It was the heartbreak for me that I I really wanted to capture. And so, I never wanted to lose sight. I spent a lot of time thinking about and obsessing about his eye and his pain and how we can relate to his pain. I spent a lot of time focusing on the quality of his scream, his power of pain and the horror within that.
With this answer in mind, I can totally see why the creative team decided on the Clayface featured at the end of the movie rather than skewing closer to the comic books and Batman: The Animated Series. As a result, they've now set the tone for how they character would likely look in upcoming DC movies, should he return. Watkins also said this:
What I really like about Clayface is, he's not entirely a villain – the ambiguousness of him, you know? And, I think that's really interesting. He's always been that. So, yeah I was very mindful of trying to keep the man within the monster, I suppose [in his final form].
What this all goes back to is the concept of a character being either a man or a monster, and the shapeshifter's form is the physical embodiment of that concept. I think they totally made the right decision for the movie, don’t you? Many of the other Clayface reactions seem to think so. Here’s hoping more upcoming horror movies from the DCU are on the way after this one. But, for now, check out Watkins' film in theaters.
