When an update was made last month regarding James Gunn’s first DCU movie, a short statement was also teased that the plot of Superman: Legacy would involve The Last Son of Krypton actually being part of a world where superheroes were already existing, fighting crime and scouring the streets for bad guys to put away.
While this was a very speculative and promising tease, no DC fan could anticipate what was coming. Besides a press announcement being made on June 27 that David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan would step into the roles of Clark Kent and Lois Lane, the biggest surprises came on July 11 when the CEO of DC studios himself, alongside Vanity Fair, collaborated in telling the world that three more heroes had joined the fray.
Being played by Isabela Merced, Edi Gathegi, and Nathan Fillion, the intrepid heroes of Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific, and Guy Gardner are set to make appearances in Superman: Legacy too. Not deterred from a packed house, Mr. Gunn seems to be in the mindset of plucking even more characters from comic panels to make his initial impact into a new DC cinematic universe that much more everlasting.
Just a day after The Hollywood Reporter announced a trio of incredible castings who are sure to help revive interest in the fantastical subgenre, another celebrity name was brought into the first entry of the Gods and Monsters slate, and that is Anthony Carrigan as none other than Metamorpho.
While the actor has risen to great fame through his role on HBO’s Barry and pop culture enthusiasts may be familiar with him already from his portrayal of Victor Zsaz on the long-running Gotham series on Fox, the character of Metamorpho may not be instantly recognizable for some casual comic fans or even a general audience.
With that being said, let’s take a deep dive into this rather obscure DC name (which is what James Gunn is known for, giving some semblance of a spotlight to underrated faces) and find out not only what this chemically composed humanoid is all about but what he will bring to the first flick in the revitalized DCU.
Metamorpho Has a Surprisingly Deep Human Desire
First created within the fifty-seventh issue of The Brave and The Bold in 1957 (which is one of many projects from James Gunn), ordinary archeologist and adventurer Rex Mason goes along with numerous other people from Stagg Enterprises to fetch a one-of-a-kind relic called the Orb of Ra from an ancient Egyptian pyramid.
But in an unlucky turn of events, the boss of the billion-dollar company finds out that Mason is secretly dating his daughter right before the expedition is final. An overpowering bodyguard who accompanies our featured protagonist knocks him out once there and traps him in the same room as the orb. Absorbing the artifact’s strange earthly abilities, Mason ultimately becomes Metamorpho and can willingly transmute into any element, has shape-shifting capabilities, and now becomes resistant to blunt force and energy attacks.
Besides the typical upgrades to strength and endurance, the new and improved Rex Mason is also invulnerable to an extent considering he has already died and come back to life quite a few times in the comics.
Like numerous other characters in the comic book world who have regret weighing heavy on their souls, Metamorpho has tried numerous times to permanently change back to human form. In the 1960s, Green Lantern tried with his power ring but to no avail. Asking the entire Justice League for assistance turned into an even bigger problem than his own. He eventually turned to a Markovian scientist named Dr. Helen Jace, who seemed to be getting somewhere with a solution before revealing her own evil agenda.
Batman and the Outsiders had to actually render Metamorpho’s fantastical body permanent when exposing his body to radioactive material in order to save him. Seeing how Mason seems to be constantly troubled by his look will give James Gunn an idea to showcase the levity of the superhero spirit in Superman: Legacy.
Teaming Up With Big Screen Heroes
Obviously not as disastrous, expletive riddled, and brutal as we see in The Suicide Squad, but Metamorpho is another DC character who meets his demise several times in his lengthy comic book career.
In his very first solo series, the hero was executed for murder but was quickly brought back to life by Element Girl, who siphoned her powers onto him. In 1988 during the Invasion story arc where sleeper agents were activated to stop heroes from defending Earth, our highlighted protagonist is destroyed by the supposed leader of the Outsiders (who is now brainwashed).
Ironically enough, the bomb meant to disable all metahumans actually brings Metamorpho back to life. He also saved three members of the Justice League from Martians who escaped the Phantom Zone. He sacrificed himself in the process, but as time always shows, he didn’t stay dead for long, and his spirit was put back into his body by the Orb of Ra.
Between his longing for a normal human life once more and his seamless trips between planes of existence, Metamorpho’s presence in Superman: Legacy, which is slated for release in July 2025, will surely be a sight to see. Just don’t become too invested when his supposed death scene arrives. . . because he’ll probably be right back.