Why Metamorpho From James Gunn’s Superman Looks So Familiar

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Although James Gunn’s “Superman” is another reboot of the character, this upcoming film deviates from the usual origin story pattern. Instead, the narrative finds Superman well into his role as Earth’s protector, and the movie boasts a substantial ensemble of additional heroes and villains, which is larger than we typically see in the early phases of a superhero universe.

Among these heroes, one stands out as Metamorpho, also known as The Element Man. His comic book roots date back to the 1960s, but he hasn’t made his live-action debut yet. However, for this groundbreaking screen appearance, he will be portrayed by actor Anthony Carrigan. Carrigan is most recognized these days as NoHo Hank from the critically acclaimed HBO series “Barry.” This character had a knack for stealing the spotlight in every scene he graced, serving as the long-term friend-turned-foe of the show’s main character. Intriguingly, NoHo Hank was initially slated to meet his end in the very first episode, but Carrigan’s performance was too captivating to be a one-time appearance.

Apart from “Superman” and “Barry”, there are many other notable productions in Carrigan’s portfolio. This talented actor has been part of various well-known films and television series that audiences may recall as well.

It’s Anthony Carrigan’s third DC role

Apart from his character appearances in films prior to “Superman,” it’s important to note that Anthony Carrigan didn’t debut as Metamorpho; instead, he had already played three DC roles. His initial foray into DC adaptations occurred in 2014 when he took on the villain Kyle Nimbus, also known as The Mist, in an episode of the CW’s “The Flash.” He returned to this role for another episode towards the end of that same season.

Simultaneously with his brief run on “The Flash,” Carrigan also introduced another DC villain to television screens. In the first season of Fox’s series “Gotham,” the actor made his debut as Victor Zsasz, a mercenary who continued to appear throughout the show’s five seasons, often working for whichever criminal mastermind was the main antagonist at that time.

Although Carrigan hasn’t officially joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as of 2021, he expressed his desire to portray Marvel’s Silver Surfer in an interview with Looper. He mentioned that if given the opportunity, it would demonstrate that bald actors aren’t always limited to playing villainous roles. While Julia Garner is set to debut the character in the MCU through “Fantastic Four: First Steps,” there’s no reason Carrigan couldn’t play another interpretation of the iconic hero at some point in the future.

He also played the main villain in Bill & Ted Face the Music

When Anthony Carrigan plays NoHo Hank, his knack for portraying villains can be overshadowed by his humor and charm. Yet, behind this comedic character lies an actor who excels at breathing life into evil roles. Beyond television antagonists, Carrigan has also taken on villainous parts in films. In the 2020 movie “Bill & Ted Face the Music,” he played a robot named Dennis, tasked with eliminating the titular characters. However, his character wore a mask that concealed much of his face and had most visible areas painted white, making it less recognizable for film fans to identify him on the streets.

If you haven’t recognized Carrigan from the movies or TV shows mentioned so far, it’s possible that you may have come across him on the 2009 ABC mystery series titled “The Forgotten.” In this show, he portrayed Tyler Davis in all 17 episodes. Additionally, in 2011, Carrigan appeared as Cory Smith, a coworker of Adam Braverman (Peter Krause), for five episodes on the NBC series “Parenthood.” Among his film roles are “Death of a Unicorn,” “Satanic,” and “The Undying.

To conclude, Carrigan has been cast as the lead antagonist Calypso for Season 2 of Peacock’s fast-paced adaptation “Twisted Metal.” This new role adds another notch to his growing collection of portraying famous villains from various media sources.

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2025-07-11 23:30