Director James Watkins's "Clayface," penned by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, has garnered attention for its unsettling take on the DC villain, focusing on a gradual, visceral transformation for Tom Rhys Harries's Matt Hagen. The film skillfully builds tension, hinting at Hagen's grotesque changes before fully unleashing the mud-like monster in its final act. However, a recent reveal by concept artist Carlos Huante on Slashfilm shows that the character's initial designs explored a far more disturbing path from the outset.

Huante, who contributed to the project in its early stages before it was officially greenlit by Warner Bros. Pictures, shared unsettling designs that depict Hagen as already twisted and physically unstable. Unlike the film's subtle progression, Huante's artwork portrayed a character with an asymmetric skull and an arm fused to his torso, suggesting a man constantly struggling to maintain a consistent physical form. These early concepts leaned heavily into a pure creature-feature aesthetic, making Hagen monstrous from the very beginning.

Reflecting on his brief involvement, Huante noted the evolving vision for the project. "I did some work on it before it was green lit," he explained, adding that "it was clearer it was going to be a horror movie rather the Batman supervillain." Despite the shift towards a more horror-centric narrative, Huante expressed his desire to push for a "full Clayface creature" even then, hinting at the potential for an even more extreme visual interpretation.

The film's journey began with Mike Flanagan, who initially pitched the project to DC Studios. While the final cinematic version, under James Watkins's direction, opts for a more restrained yet impactful visual evolution of Clayface, Huante's early designs provide a fascinating look at an alternate, more overtly gruesome direction. These concepts suggest a version where Matt Hagen's body horror was not just implied but a constant, unsettling presence, offering fans a glimpse into what could have been an even more outwardly terrifying DC villain. "Clayface" is currently playing in theaters, showcasing the final, equally effective, take on the character's horrifying transformation.