Clayface delivers a monster mashup of youth genres.

As horror continues to shape culture and superhero franchises continue to command fandom, Clayface delivers the best of both worlds, making it one of the most compelling opportunities for banking, QSR, retail and technology brands to connect with youth audiences this year.

Few genres are capturing youth attention right now quite like horror. Following the breakout success of Backrooms and Obsession, horror has become one of the most culturally relevant forces in popular culture. As audiences increasingly gravitate towards darker, more suspense-driven storytelling, horror has evolved from a niche category into a mainstream phenomenon.

At the same time, superhero films continue to be one of the most powerful forces in cinema. Built on decades of storytelling, iconic characters and passionate fanbases, the genre consistently delivers some of the biggest releases in box office history. With multiple superhero titles, including Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: No Way Home, ranking among the highest-grossing films of all time globally, few genres can rival the scale and enduring appeal of superhero storytelling.

Clayface sits at the intersection of these two influential genres. First introduced in 1940, the Batman villain is one of the most enduring characters in DC's history. Now, the shape-shifting antagonist is getting his own standalone feature within James Gunn's new DC Universe. However, unlike traditional comic book adaptations, Clayface is being positioned as DC's first horror-thriller. Directed by James Watkins (Speak No Evil, The Woman in Black) and written by Mike Flanagan (Doctor Sleep, The Haunting of Hill House), the film leans heavily into psychological tension and body horror, bringing a darker and more unsettling edge to the DC Universe.

Clayface releases in cinemas October 22.