DC StudiosTrusting the process is a tough ask when a massive movie franchise is in the mix. When it’s a franchise that’s been rebooted more than once — like the DC Universe — trust is all the harder to come by. There’s no doubt that director James Gunn doesn’t have an eye for superpowered storytelling, but the anticipation for an interconnected world that looks good and honors the source material has long reached a fever pitch. Fans want a strong foundation for the heroes and villains of the DC Universe. They want to see Batman; most crucially, they want to see what the DCU’s version of Gotham looks like as soon as humanly possible.It may be some time before DC debuts its Dark Knight (in live-action, anyway), but it’ll soon give us the next best thing — and with a delicious horror twist. After Supergirl flies into theaters this summer, the DC Universe makes the move from the sunny Metropolis to Gotham City. Rather than focus on Batman and his crime-fighting antics, however, Clayface will focus on a more grounded corner of this seedy world, and the skin-tingling origins of an infamous Batman villain.DC Studios’ first teaser for Clayface serves up our first look at the new Gotham City, but all that pales in comparison to the flashes of body horror sprinkled throughout. That’s right: Clayface is the first horror movie set in the DC Universe. Tom Rhys Harris is Matt Hagen, a character fans should recognize from Batman: The Animated Series. While Hagen wasn’t the first incarnation of Clayface (that honor belongs to Basil Karlo), he was the first to gain the shapeshifting powers we associate with the character, thanks in great part to The Animated Series. We’ll get to see the gruesome origins of those powers in Clayface. Per the official synopsis, the film “unravels one man’s horrifying descent from rising Hollywood star to revenge-filled monster.” When Hagen loses his movie-ready good looks in a brutal attack, he turns to a bleeding-edge pharmaceutical company for help. The problem, of course, is that their tech works a little too well. His face isn’t restored so much as it is transformed into a malleable, clay-like substance. These powers help on his quest for revenge, but effectively burn the bridge back to Hagen’s old life. Clayface keeps much of its plot under wraps, but its first teaser does a lot to quell any doubts about this new phase of the DCU. There’s a chance that Batman — or other members of his rogue’s gallery — are skulking about in Gotham as Hagen embarks on his “descent,” but director James Watkins has crafted a tale that should stand well enough on its own. It’s an unorthodox way to reintroduce fans to this corner of the DC Universe, but with Clayface leading the charge, we could be getting the darkest version of Gotham we’ve ever seen... and that’s an exciting possibility.Clayface creeps into theaters on October 23.