DC Studios’ Clayface is picking up a notable new cast member, and the first word from a test screening is making the rounds.
Aaron Paul has joined the James Watkins-directed horror film in a minor role, according to an exclusive from Feature First, the outlet that first reported the movie’s “Corinthians” working title last year.
No character details have been revealed, and the report describes his involvement as brief.
It’s a strong pickup for a body-horror project. Paul, best known as Jesse Pinkman on Breaking Bad, has stayed busy in genre work lately with Westworld, Invincible, and the upcoming third season of Fallout. He’d join a cast led by Tom Rhys Harries (Matt Hagen) alongside Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella, and Eddie Marsan.
One note on sourcing: the Aaron Paul casting is a single-outlet report at this stage. Feature First has been first on Clayface details before, but WB has not confirmed it, so treat it as a report rather than official.
The Test Screening Buzz (Rumor)
Separately, word of an early Clayface test screening this week has surfaced on social media.
This is rumor, not confirmed reporting, but the scooper Cryptic HD — who has been reliable in the past — and a handful of other accounts are relaying the same broad strokes.
The short version: the screening reportedly went over well, with the audience responding positively.
Comparisons being thrown around include Joker, Vanilla Sky, The Substance, and — more unexpectedly — The Incredible Hulk. The current cut is said to run roughly one hour and 50 minutes.
On the spoiler side, again per the same unconfirmed chatter: Batman is reportedly never shown or referenced, and there are said to be no other DCU cameos.
The transformations are described as partial rather than full-body, Hagen shifting his limbs during rage-driven “out-of-control attacks” rather than morphing into a complete clay form.
The visual effects were reportedly not yet finalized, which is standard for a test screening and shouldn’t be read as a finished-product judgment.
What’s Actually Confirmed
Per WB’s official materials, Clayface is a horror thriller directed by James Watkins from a screenplay by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, story by Flanagan, based on characters from DC.
Tom Rhys Harries stars as Matt Hagen in a story the studio describes as one man’s descent from rising Hollywood star to revenge-filled monster, exploring the loss of identity and humanity, corrosive love, and the dark underbelly of scientific ambition.
The film is produced by Matt Reeves, Lynn Harris, James Gunn, and Peter Safran. It opens in theaters October 23, 2026.
WB recently updated the film’s official production listing to remove mention of IMAX.
