James Watkins explains why Aaron Paul's Clayface flashbacks were cut
The director told Entertainment Weekly that Matt Hagen's childhood scenes with Aaron Paul as his abusive father were removed in favour of a revenge motive.
Director James Watkins has explained why flashback scenes featuring Aaron Paul were cut from Clayface, telling Entertainment Weekly that the film's team settled on a different motivation for Matt Hagen.
According to Watkins, the deleted sequences would have shown Matt Hagen's childhood, with Paul as Jimmy "One-Nut" Hagen, the character's abusive father, and Ishtar Currie Wilson reportedly appearing as Matt's mother and Jimmy's wife. Paul's brief cameo in the finished film is confirmed to be Jimmy Hagen.
Watkins said the team decided that revenge was a more universal and relatable motivation than the "sins of the father" idea the flashbacks set up. He added that Matt taking his father's face suggests Matt is saying he is not his father.
Clayface loosely adapts the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Feat of Clay", in which Matt Hagen was voiced by Ron Perlman.
Quick answers
Why were Aaron Paul's flashback scenes cut from Clayface?
Director James Watkins said the team decided revenge was a more universal and relatable motivation than the "sins of the father" idea.
Who does Aaron Paul play in Clayface?
Paul appears briefly as Jimmy "One-Nut" Hagen, Matt Hagen's abusive father.
What is Clayface based on?
The film loosely adapts the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Feat of Clay".