Anthony Carrigan was a scene-stealer in James Gunn‘s Superman as the hero Metamorpho, also referred to as The Element Man. Even with relatively little screentime, the character is striking because of the deep sadness that Carrigan plays him with. On playing the role, Carrigan stated, “I think it was also one of the reasons James hired me — is because this character in particular has this real kind of pathos to him.” The quiet, reserved superhero feels against type for Carrigan, who is best known as NoHo Hank, the hilarious and extroverted gang leader in Barry. Before his breakout role in Barry however, Carrigan played another DC universe character who was nothing like Metamorpho. He had a recurring role as the serial killer Victor Zsasz on Fox’s 2014 Batman prequel series Gotham.
Who Is the DC Character Victor Zsasz?
Victor Zsasz debuted in 1992 in Batman: Shadow of the Bat. He was created by writer Alan Grant and artist Norm Breyfogle. Zsasz is a sadomasochistic serial killer who carves tally marks into his own body to keep track of his kills. In different interpretations of the character, he has different motivations, including often being portrayed as a professional hitman. Regardless of his reasons, he always shows a sadistic joy towards killing which makes him one of Batman’s scariest villains.
The character was played by Chris Messina in Birds of Prey, in which he had bleached blonde hair instead of the bald look he was most known for previously. The animated series Harley Quinn, in which he was voiced by Brad Morris, gave him a similar look to the Messina version. He was also portrayed by Alex Morf in Batwoman and Tim Booth in Christopher Nolan‘s Batman Begins. Some people even theorized Victor Aguilar on The Penguin was a young version of the character, because of their shared first name. Of all the on-screen versions of the character, Carrigan’s is the very best. The unstable serial killer is a bonechilling villain but also cartoonish in his over-the-top sadism, which makes him perfect for the tone of Gotham.
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Gotham Season 1 was a little slow and more down-to-earth compared to the seasons that would follow. The introduction of Zsasz early in Season 1 is one of the first glimpses of what a fun and exciting show Gotham would eventually become. In his first episode, Carmine Falcone (John Doman) says, “I’ll send in Victor.” The line is given such a weight that even people unfamiliar with Batman’s Rogues Gallery can instantly recognize a big character introduction is coming up. Carrigan’s Zsasz doesn’t disappoint.
Carrigan plays Zsasz with a brazen confidence, dominating every scene he’s in. He barges into Gotham P.D. to face off against Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) and commands every other cop in the building to leave while also showing touches of playfulness by doing things like pretending to beg Jim to come out. The character’s cockiness and showmanship, even more than his villainy, make him feel incredibly distinct from Carrigan’s Metamorpho. The difference between his mannerisms in these two roles is night and day.
Anthony Carrigan’s Victor Zsasz Became More Comedic Over Time
As Gotham goes on, all the charaters become more broad and intentionally goofy. It took time for Gotham to find its voice, but eventually it struck a campy tone that made it stand out from more serious Batman adaptations and allowed the best members of the ensemble cast to live up to their potential. Zsasz is one of the characters who shines the most when given a chance to be a little silly, along with being menacing. After being a highlight of a somewhat slow first season, Zsasz truly comes into his own when he stops working for Falcone and starts working for Robin Lord Taylor‘s Oswald Cobblepot. Taylor is the MVP of Gotham and was always the tone-setter, so it’s not surprising that Carrigan did his best work once Taylor became his frequent scene partner.
By Season 2, Zsasz got deliciously dark scenes where he’s doing things like holding up a decapitated head and making its lips move like it’s a ventriloquist dummy. Carrigan is a strong comedic actor who’s at his best in those kinds of scenes. Zsasz is genuinely chilling, and the fact that he’ll stop to goof around and do bits only adds to how terrifyingly heartless the character is. There were some missteps with the character, including an ill-conceived plot where Zsasz seemed romantically interested in the much younger Poison Ivy (Peyton List). Even with love potion being involved, his apparent attraction to Ivy makes Zsasz creepy in a different, harder to watch way than his usual cartoonish creepiness. But, even during the more questionable plotlines, Carrigan’s performance makes Zsasz always pop on screen.
After watching Superman, check out Carrigan’s performance on Gotham. The performance is already stunning on its own. The sheer delight he plays Zsasz with as he commits horrible violence makes the character one of Gotham‘s most memorable recurring villains. But the performance is even more impressive in contrast with Superman. Carrigan’s range needs to be seen to be believed.
All episodes of Gotham are available to stream on HBO Max in the U.S.
