Decoding the Symbolism Behind Clayface's Soundtrack Choice in DC's Upcoming Film
By Published Apr 22, 2026, 2:58 PM EDT Cooper Hood is the Associate Editor for all new movie releases, in theaters and on streaming. In addition to writing articles about these titles and upcoming releases, he also oversees content planning for each, ensuring that ScreenRant continues to cover major releases for months after their release.
He has written various reviews for ScreenRant that appear on , coordinated Oscars and San Diego Comic-Con coverage, appeared on CNN to talk about Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, and done select interviews with talent over the years. follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap
The first trailer for DC's is out and features a perfectly selected song. The third movie to come from James Gunn's DC Universe is set to be very different from what DC Studios delivered before with Superman and will soon show in Supergirl. That's evident by the , which unveils the body horror comic book film.
Directed by veteran horror filmmaker James Watkins, Clayface's trailer sets the mood for Matt Hagen's story, where the good-looking, rising star in Hollywood has his face disfigured by a criminal, leading him to undergo a full body transformation to be made of clay. Although the first teaser is barely one minute long, it does an excellent job of teasing what audiences can expect and establishing the atmosphere.
A frequent way that marketing teams do the latter is by pairing a strong trailer with a great song. Music has the ability to elevate an okay trailer into something fantastic, while one that comes across as a poor fit can hurt what would otherwise be a terrific piece of marketing. have long utilized them well, and while he isn't the director of Clayface, his fingerprints are felt with the song choice.
Clayface's trailer uses a version of the song "Do You Realize??" by The Flaming Lips as its audio backdrop. It's unclear if the original audio was used and altered or if this is a cover recorded for the movie. Most of the actual song is not incorporated into the trailer, with a specific lyric repeating itself instead. That choice is deliberate, as the words directly connect to the overall premise of the and emphasize part of Matt Hagen's story.
Why "Do You Realize??" By The Flaming Lips Is The Perfect Song For Clayface's Trailer
Originally released in 2002 by The Flaming Lips, "Do You Realize??" proves to be the perfect song choice for Clayface. The trailer allows the beginning of the song to play, as "Do you realize that you have the most beautiful face?" is heard as the vocals only. It then repeats the "most beautiful face" line only three times before singling out "face" 12 times.
Those lyrics specifically clearly connect to Clayface, as Matt will struggle with losing his movie star looks and become obsessed with getting his face to look like it did before the accident. He's lost his beautiful face, and his efforts to restore it will lead to him having a whole different type, a clay face.
But the reason for choosing "Do You Realize??" as Clayface's trailer song goes beyond that. Plenty of songs have lyrics about good-looking faces. The Flaming Lips' song as a whole is about how short life is, not dwelling on loss, and making the most of your life, no matter what comes your way. Those ideas are all relevant to Matt Hagen's story and could speak to the themes in Watkins' film and Mike Flanagan's script.
Clayface's Trailer Song Has Ties To James Gunn
Using "Do You Realize??" in Clayface's trailer is also a reflection of Gunn's status with DC Studios. While it's unconfirmed if using this song in particular was his idea, he approved its use, at the very least. Either option makes sense with Gunn, as he is a known fan of this song from The Flaming Lips.
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The DC Studios co-CEO already put it in one of his movies previously. "Do You Realize??" was included in . In fact, it was even the music choice for the Marvel movie's first trailer. Gunn has not only brought back the song with Clayface, but he's utilized it in the same way as before.
Whether The Flaming Lips' song is included in Clayface remains to be seen, but its selection feels obvious in hindsight, given Gunn's relationship with it and how well it connects to the story of this Batman villain.
Cast
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Tom Rhys Harries Matt Hagen / Clayface -
Naomi Ackie Dr. Caitlin Bates -
David Dencik -
Max Minghella
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