Superman: Legacy Casts Barry Star As Metamorpho
After previously announcing big-name stars as big-name characters for the lineup of James Gunn’s upcoming Superman: Legacy film, such as Nathan Fillion as a Green Lantern, fans were thrown a curveball with the announcement that Metamorpho will make his live-action debut
According to a write-up in The Hollywood Reporter, Barry‘s Anthony Carrigan has been cast as the archeologist turned DC hero.
Superman: Legacy will include other DC characters, including the former Justice League and Doom Patrol member Metamorpho, played by Anthony Carrigan.
Anthony Carrigan is fresh off an explosive series finale of HBO’s Barry. In the acclaimed series, Carrigan portrayed the overly flamboyant and perennially friendly menacing crime boss known as NoHo Hank, rising through the ranks of the criminal underworld of Los Angeles while employing the violent skills of his on-again-off-again buddy, Bill Hader’s Barry Berkman.
This leap into Superman: Legacy and, by extension, the DCU writ large, represents a seismic shift for the wonderful actor, who just received an Emmy nomination for his performance in Barry‘s fourth and final season.
In Superman: Legacy, Carrigan will portray Rex Mason, an archeologist who gains his powers after being exposed to a radioactive piece of meteorite while exploring the ancient catacombs of an Egyptian pyramid.
Though the character is significantly more obscure than many other Justice League alumni, such as Batman, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman, Metamorpho’s bona fides date back to the character’s creation in 1965, with many comic fans considering him a fan favorite.
Anthony Carrigan is making his superhero movie debut in Superman: Legacy after an award-winning stint on Barry as NoHo Hank.
Though very little is known about the plot of Superman: Legacy at this time, the film will likely not serve as much of a Metamorpho origin story, given the character’s minor inclusion in the comics and the Superman forward plot, which will be necessary to drive the new entry into the DC franchise.
Despite the unlikely nature of Metamorpho getting a great deal of screen time in the film, Anthony Carrigan’s casting seems to suggest that the character will serve as more than just a background dressing for the world of Metropolis.
After all, James Gunn famously has a habit of taking seemingly minor or unknown comic book characters and bringing them to prominence, with his work on both the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy and 2021’s The Suicide Squad, placing this affinity on full display.
This time ten years ago, the average film fan likely couldn’t tell you a single thing about Peacemaker, Rocket Raccoon, Ratcatcher, or even Thanos. In Superman: Legacy, Gunn has an opportunity to take characters such as Metamorpho and Hawkgirl and bring them into major prominence.
How The WGA Strike Impacts Superman: Legacy
Superman: Legacy has a tentative release date of July 11, 2025, though the ongoing Writer’s Guild of America strike threatens to jeopardize this and all other major Hollywood productions.
Furthermore, talks of a SAG-AFTRA strike have been circulating in recent days, with word from insiders stating it could kick into effect as early as July 12, placing nearly every studio production both active and in talks into a tailspin.
As the many shifting gears of the Hollywood industry continue to turn, there’s no telling what may come next. Of course, artists such as James Gunn have made their careers by forging good working relationships, proven by the familiar faces from Guardians of the Galaxy appearing in Superman: Legacy.
If anyone is capable of navigating the intensely tumultuous industry, it could be Gunn, and perhaps he can use his newfound leveraging power as creative head of the DCU to help writers and actors alike strike a deal with major studio executives. At the very least, he should do it for the sake of his hard work on Superman: Legacy doesn’t go to waste.
