Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for ‘Superman’
One of the most impressive aspects ofSupermanwas the expansive worldJames Gunncrafted around this tale. It felt like an already-established universe in which we join in the middle ofSuperman’s (David Corenswet)first-ever loss in battle. The range of superheroes and stylized visuals helped make this feel like a true comic book movie, and perhaps no character embodied this than Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan), who frees Superman from Lex’s (Nicholas Hoult) pocket-universe prison. While he was only introduced in the second half ofSuperman, Metamorpho immediately cemented himself as a fan favorite with his emotive change of heart to help Superman and his awkward comedic charm.
While it seems Gunn’s adaptation will be based on his comic book history, like the rest ofSuperman, we areseeing Metamorpho after he has been through much of his origins and arcs.
Metamorpho’s Powers Have an Ancient Origin in D.C. Comics
Superman’s visual representation of Metamorpho issimilar to the comics, with a pale gray complexion andcolorful, textured skin. You’d be forgiven for thinking he may be an alien like Superman, but he did not always look this way. Originally, Metamorpho was Rex Mason, a mercenary hired by inventor Simon Stagg to retrieve an artifact in Egypt, with his first appearance and backstory coming inThe Brave and the Bold #57in January 1965. During his mission, he was exposed to a luminous meteorite that had been transformed into the Orb of Ra during the time of Akh-Ton, a Pharaoh’s priest, thousands of years ago. Thisorb gave him the power to transform his body into any element.
While some stories portray a hero’s initial anxieties over the prospect of having powers before embracing them, Metamorpho’s abilities often fluctuate between a gift and a curse in his mind. While his lover, Sapphire Stagg, Simon’s daughter, consistently advocates for him to use his powers for good in comics such asThe Brave and the Bold #68, numerous arcs portray an attempt to cure his condition and return him to Rex Mason. These involved being submerged in theclassic vat of chemicalsand returning to Ancient Egypt to be exposed to the orb again. Each one typically fails in its own way and has tragic consequences, such as, when he and Sapphire were finally able to get married inOutsiders #27, they were unable to conceive a child. It wasn’t untilJustice League Europe #11,after losing his memory, did he learn he eventually had a son, Joseph. Even the knowledge of his son’s existence is given the tragic aspect of carrying Metamorpho’s curse inMetamorpho #1. In the end,Metamorpho’s story in the comics can be summed up by describing it as traumatic, but the continued search for connection.
Anthony Carrigan’s Metamorpho Seems to Have Already Experienced Much of His Origin
Of course, without seeing it or James Gunn confirming it, it is impossible to know whether this comic’s history is indeed canon in the DCU. One could argue that Metamorpho’s personality didn’t fit that of a former soldier, but it is possible he has mellowed with age or is significantly disturbed by what Lex Luthor puts him through. This is where the existence of Joey is key, when Superman saves him from the proton river. With this choice, it leaves the door open for the rest of Metamorpho’s backstory to be easily folded into the films and implies this is likely. Metamorpho also seems at ease with his powers and doesn’t view them as a curse anymore, something Sapphire Stagg specifically helped him with doing. Yetwe still don’t know where Sapphire is or if that is who Rex had the child with.Furthermore, in a world of Lex Luthors and Maxwell Lords (Sean Gunn), where might Simon Stagg fit in if he is still alive?
Whether we will see this history explored on screen or delivered through exposition is a mystery. While there are plenty of interviews in which James Gunn names several projects he is working on, there may not be space for a Metamorpho-led project. However, aCreature Commandos-style ensemble in which we explore each characters' history, including Metamorpho, would be stunning to see, as thetragic yet hopeful story is something Gunn would surely excel at portraying on screen.
