Well, it’s official. The hype surrounding Superman: Legacy is real — and James Gunn’s take on the Man of Steel could make or break the DCU. Seriously, no pressure.
Still, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention we should manage our collective expectations long enough to give this movie a true shot. Especially as more and more characters and cast members begin to surface. The truth is, no one should be holding their breath. Patience is a virtue. It comes out in 2025, not next week.
Whether it’s David Corenswet as Superman/Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, or a slew of other supporting talent providing life to the likes of Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), and Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi) — Superman: Legacy certainly has the makings of something special. How could it not? Now, it seems another fan favorite has been added to this star-studded ensemble, and it has everyone a bit confused.
Has anyone ever heard of Metamorpho? Me neither, and I’m a comic nerd. At least I thought I was until I totally blanked on this legacy DC hero. So let’s figure out who the heck Metamorpho is, and which Hollywood star has been tasked with bringing him to life.
Who is Metamorpho?
Metamorpho, as his name suggests, is a DC hero introduced in 1965 that commands the principle power of metamorphosis. He’s able to shape shift his body into any element on the Periodic table and turn specific body parts into weapons. In short, Metamorpho is an immortal mutant with elemental powers. Now for a little more on where he came from.
Rex Mason, Metamorpho’s mild mannered alter-ego, was an adventurer who found himself transformed by an artifact he was hired to collect in Egypt — called the Orb of Ra. Spooky. After unknowingly being exposed to the radiation given off by the Orb itself (it was made out of a meteorite, Rex is slowly transformed into… Metamorpho, the Element Man.
To be frank though, we’ve seen this all before. Tell me if this sounds familiar: Daring do-gooder gets caught up in strange circumstances that inevitably leads to their being imbued with fantastic power. This is Superheroes 101, people.
Since 1965, Metamorpho has gone on become one of DC’s most underrated characters, and finally has a chance to be done justice. So who’s responsible for portraying him?
Who is playing Metamorpho?
You know him, you love him, it’s NoHo Hank — Anthony Carrigan. Hurray! To tell you the truth, I think Carrigan is perfect for the role of Metamorpho and has the potential to be a scene stealer.
Anthony Carrigan has the charisma, the acting chops, and the gravitas to take on the role. Most importantly, he seems to fundamentally relate to the character. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter discussing his recent Emmy nomination for HBO’s Barry, Carrigan had a ton to say about his upcoming role.
“I like comic books, but I’m not a diehard, but I did when all my hair fell out, go through the kind of pantheon of all of these bald superheroes and supervillains and made note of all of them. I remember seeing Metamorpho and I think he had like a giant like hammer for a hand and I was like, that guy’s badass. Noted. We’ll store that one away.”
Badass indeed, Anthony. More even than admiration, Carrigan doesn’t seem to have a problem with slipping into the role of someone who doesn’t like their appearance.
“This character from what I’ve learned of the source material, he didn’t like the way he looked, and I can really relate to that. You know, when he got his powers he thought it was a curse. That’s something that I really felt as well. In my case, I turned it around and saw it as a blessing. So I’m excited to bring that to the table with this character.”
Let’s just all agree that this casting is perfection, and call it a day? We’ve all got places to be. The more I hear about Superman: Legacy, the more excited I get — and in an age where superhero fatigue has become part of the world we live in, here’s hoping good ‘ole Supes can finally turn that around.