If you were watching “Superman” and found yourself thinking, “That Fella Rex sure looks familiar somehow,” you’d be correct!
Shapeshifting metahuman Rex Mason, aka Metamorpho, is a scene-stealer in James Gunn’s reboot; a surprisingly sincere creature (though perhaps there’s nothing less surprising than a soul monster in a James Gunn film) capable of transforming into any substance… including kryptonite.
Here’s everything you need to know about who was under all the makeup, prosthetics, and effects.
Actor Anthony Carrigan plays Rex – and if you had trouble spotting that in the credits, it’s probably because the character is called “rex” throughout most of the film, but credited as “morph” in the final credits.
Audiences will likely recognize Carrigan from his three-time Emmy-nominated performance as Noho Hank in Bill Hader’s “Barry.”
This isn’t Carrigan’s first foray into the DC universe. The actor played Victor Zsasz in 20 episodes of “Gotham” between 2014 and 2019, as well as Kyle Nimbus (aka “The Mist”) in two episodes of “The Flash.”
It’s not his first time wearing heavy makeup and costumes, either. Carrigan played the delightful murder-turned-Dennis Caleb McCoy in another relentlessly upbeat film, “Bill & Ted Face the Music.”
How did Carrigan turn into Rex?
“It’s stuff that was glued onto me, but then they painted on details, and then more stuff was glued onto that,” Carrigan said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly . “I’m not kidding when I say I was glued, I was stitched, I was completely wrapped. I was tied… tied, basically. But it was all in service of this incredible costume.”
The actor said the process took between five and six hours in makeup, but he thinks the rewards of practical effects are worth the extra effort. “It’s worth it because you can actually feel the texture of something,” Carrigan said. “Your brain can tell the difference.”
Carrigan also said he can relate to Rex’s complex relationship with his powers and how they affect his physicality. The actor spoke openly about his real-world journey to accepting his own distinct physicality, growing up with alopecia.
“I had to choose whether to embrace it or try to keep hiding it,” Carrigan told TheWrap in 2019. “I knew I couldn’t hold on to that shame anymore, so I just went for it. Not everyone was on board, not everyone thought I could do it or that I was attractive enough to be an actor. But I did it.”
Carrigan echoed these sentiments and drew a connection between his background and Rex’s struggle with how his powers manifest in a recent interview with “Good Morning America.” “So, it’s a blessing and a curse. He, I think, sees it more as a curse. He doesn’t like the way he looks, which I can certainly relate to,” he shared. “You know, growing up with alopecia, that was something I wished I could change about myself at that time, and it really affected my self-esteem. It affected the way I moved through the world. And so, that’s certainly one aspect of this character that I feel I can really relate to. But since then, I’ve come to terms with it, it actually feels like it’s become some kind of superpower.”
Carrigan is next set to appear as Calypso in the second season of “Twisted Metal” and will star in Alex Winter’s film “Adulture” alongside Josh Gad and Kaya Scodelario.
“Superman” is now playing in theaters nationwide.
