Clayface Officially Sets Superhero Movie Record Beating DC’s Best Villain Movie

The DCU’s next big-screen outing will be Clayface, and it has already broken a specific superhero movie record. Based on the DC villain of the same name, the film has now become the highest-rated solo supervillain movie of all time, with a 77% on Rotten Tomatoes (as of October 22, 2026), beating the iconic DC villain origin story, Joker. It is set to release on October 23, 2026.

After Superman changed the tides for DC last year with its box office numbers, the franchise is back in troubled waters with this year’s box office bomb, Supergirl. Now that Warner Bros. has merged with Paramount, Clayface has all the pressure to deliver commercially and critically, and that will determine DC’s future.

Clayface Beats Joker, Morbius and Other Villains on RT

Joaquin Phoenix in Joker | Credits: Warner Bros.

While solo superhero movies are a dime a dozen, supervillain origin stories are a more recent trend. Since 2019’s Joker earned $1.07 billion at the box office (via Box Office Mojo), studios understood the appeal of a compelling origin story for their superheroes’ adversaries. Directed by Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, the film explores the societal impact of Gotham’s corrupt system on vulnerable people like Fleck and how it manifests in his supervillain turn. It is an incredibly well-made psychological study of anarchy and one of the most complex villains of all time.

While Venom predates the Joker, the subsequent sequels were definitely a result of Joker’s success. However, another DC movie might overtake the Joker this year. The Mike Flanagan-written body horror movie Clayface has already received positive reviews from early critics and has become the highest-rated solo supervillain movie of all time, setting a record. Joker only got a 68% Tomatometer score on RT. Clayface is currently the best of the lot.

The upcoming movie has also surpassed other supervillain movies, such as Morbius and Kraven the Hunter. The Jared Leto-starrer, which has become a meme at this point, earned 15% critically on RT. Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Kraven the Hunter also received the same critical score (via RT). The only other movie in the category that comes closest to Clayface is Venom: Let There Be Carnage, which earned 58% (via RT).

Clayface’s Box Office Could Put DC Back on Top after Supergirl

Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen in Clayface | Credits: DC Studios

The DCU has yet again landed in trouble after the final superhero movie before WB’s sale to Paramount was a box office bomb. Supergirl, the follow-up to James Gunn’s Superman, was a box office disappointment, earning only $126 million against a $186 million budget (via Box Office Mojo). Recently, Coyote Vs. Acme surpassed the film’s collections, which is an embarrassment for WB.

However, Clayface could turn the tide for the franchise, as early reviews are positive. FW’s Loretto Valiao has given it 8/10 and called Clayface an “engaging thriller.” The auteur director Mike Flanagan’s pitch of a body horror origin story for the iconic DC villain is a unique project that is releasing right on time for Halloween. Flanagan wrote the script, while noted horror director James Watkins, known for Eden Lake and The Woman in Black, is directing.

The recipe for the film’s success is all there. The creative team is solid, the release window is perfect, and the film is modestly budgeted enough that a decent enough opening weekend could spell success. According to Variety, Clayface is set to open $25 to $30 million domestically and internationally for a round $45 to $55 million. The film’s budget is $44 million.

The only obstacle right now for the film is A24’s Elizabeth Holmes documentary being a sudden force of nature. You Can See Everything started with a limited release of 800 locations, but the studio is now expanding after the incredible reactions to the Lance Oppenheim- and Nathan Fielder-directed documentary. Still, Clayface attracts a more mainstream crowd and could still be a success.

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