'Superman: Legacy' Has Cast Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho
'Superman: Legacy' Has Cast Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho
Just a day after the castings of Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific, and Guy Gardner, Carrigan's casting expands his reach in the DC multiverse
Rex Mason is reporting for duty. Barry star Anthony Carrigan has been cast as the hero Metamorpho, civilian name Rex Mason, in the James Gunn-directed Superman: Legacy, set to kick off the new DC Universe of TV and films in July 2025. The news comes on the day Carrigan received his third Emmy nomination for his role as NoHo Hank on the HBO series.
In the last two weeks, the film has cast its Clark Kent/Superman with David Corenswet, Lois Lane with Rachel Brosnahan, Hawkgirl with Isabela Merced, Mister Terrific with Edi Gathegi and Green Lantern Guy Gardner with Nathan Fillion, cutting it close before a strike by SAG-AFTRA is set to begin Wednesday night and puts an end to such negotiations.
Metamorpho was introduced to DC Comics in 1965 created by Bob Haney and Ramona Fradon. He can transmute elements in his body into various forms, taking those properties on as powers, something also seen in Ben 10’s Kevin Levin. Whether he’s an archeologist like in the comics, or an ex-Marine ally of Green Lantern John Stewart as given in the Justice League episode “Metamorphosis”, he gets his powers by catching the ire of Simon Stagg, who absolutely hates that he’s dating or even engaged to his daughter Sapphire. In that animated origin he’s permanently mutated by Metamorpho project mutagen and no longer has his own flesh and bone. The Hollywood Reporter calls the character choice in-line with Gunn’s well-established affinity for off-center characters, utilizing and highlighting them as “scene-stealers” or emotional cores.
While Carrigan, who has alopecia, has appeared in films such as Fatherhood starring Kevin Hart and Bill and Ted Face the Music, Metamorpho will be his third DC role. He first appeared as Kyle Nimbus aka Mist in two first season episodes of The Flash, going on to play Victor Zsasz in 20 of Gotham's 100 episodes from 2014-2019. As the news broke, Carrigan revealed he had Metamorpho on his radar before winning the 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,” Carrigan continued. “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.”
As for getting the role, Carrigan admitted he is “gobsmacked” and would elaborate “I think it’s just such an exciting new chapter, and such an exciting new chapter for DC. I think this movie has the potential to just really knock everyone’s socks off, and with James Gunn at the helm, I think it’s just going to be so much fun.”
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline