Metro Man, born in a distant, dying galaxy, is one of the three overarching protagonists of DreamWorks’ Megamind franchise—alongside Megamind’s parents. After arriving on Earth as a baby, he was adopted and named Wayne Scott.
He became Metro City’s beloved superhero and longtime nemesis of Megamind, who, despite sharing the same origin, was shunned and misunderstood, leading him down the path of villainy. While Metro Man thrived in the spotlight, he eventually grew weary of the constant pressure and expectations placed on him as a hero. Choosing to fake his death, he retired from superhero work and pursued a quiet life as a musician.
Despite stepping away from the limelight, Metro Man watched with admiration as Megamind rose to become a true hero in his absence—a transformation he deeply respected.
In the original 2010 Megamind film, Metro Man was voiced by Brad Pitt, who is also known for roles such as Sinbad in Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, David Mills in Se7en, Benjamin Button in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Frank Harris in Cool World (1992), Jerry Welbach in The Mexican (2001), Rusty Ryan in the Ocean’s trilogy, Aldo Raine in Inglourious Basterds, Don “Wardaddy” Collier in Fury, the Vanisher in Deadpool 2, and Ladybug in Bullet Train.
Personality
Metro Man initially presents himself as the perfect hero: charismatic, friendly, noble, witty, mature, even-tempered, tough, respectful, optimistic, mild-mannered, altruistic, modest, extroverted, thoughtful, rational, observant, merciful, affectionate, and no-nonsense—all while embodying a strong sense of justice.
However, beneath this polished exterior, Metro Man had a more complex and flawed past. In his youth, he was self-absorbed and contributed to Megamind’s alienation by bullying him, albeit unintentionally. This treatment played a major role in shaping Megamind’s path toward villainy.
Born with extraordinary powers and raised in privilege by wealthy adoptive Earth parents, Metro Man felt a deep sense of obligation to use his abilities for a higher purpose. Believing that purpose to be heroism, he stepped into the role of Metro City’s protector—unwittingly continuing a lifelong rivalry with Megamind.
As he grew older, Metro Man became disillusioned with the never-ending cycle of hero-versus-villain conflict. Recognizing its futility, he chose to abandon the superhero lifestyle and pursue his true passion: music. In doing so, he encouraged Megamind to seek out his own identity beyond villainy, acknowledging that his old nemesis possessed a genuine sense of humanity.
Ultimately, Metro Man’s character arc reveals someone who, despite his early narcissism and fame, matured into a more self-aware and grounded individual—one capable of growth, empathy, and sincere change.
Biography
Backstory
Metro Man, originally from the Glaupunk Quadrant, is an alien refugee and one of the last known survivors of his species—alongside Megamind and Minion. As an infant, his home planet was destroyed by a black hole. In a desperate act to save him, his parents launched him into space in an escape pod, bound for Earth.
During his journey, his pod collided with Megamind’s, knocking Megamind off-course and setting the stage for their future rivalry. Metro Man’s pod ultimately landed under the Christmas tree of Lord and Lady Scott, a wealthy couple who adopted and named him Wayne Scott.
Raised in luxury and granted extraordinary powers from Earth’s environment, Wayne grew up to become the beloved protector of Metro City, eventually adopting the heroic alias Metro Man. Meanwhile, Megamind—raised in a prison—was constantly overshadowed and ridiculed, largely due to Metro Man’s popularity. Though Metro Man never saw himself as a bully, his status and constant victories unintentionally pushed Megamind toward villainy.
Megamind (2010 Film)
Metro Man’s story takes a turn during the unveiling of a museum dedicated to his heroism. As part of one of Megamind’s elaborate plots, Roxanne Ritchi is kidnapped to lure Metro Man into a trap. When Metro Man arrives at an old observatory to rescue her, he finds himself unable to escape, seemingly due to Megamind’s use of copper, a substance claimed to be his weakness.
Megamind fires his Death Ray, apparently disintegrating Metro Man and leaving behind only a skeleton and his iconic cape. With Metro Man gone, Megamind takes over Metro City unchallenged—but quickly finds villainy unfulfilling without a hero to oppose.
In an attempt to create a new adversary, Megamind uses a DNA sample from Metro Man’s cape to imbue powers into an unsuspecting human, Hal Stewart, who later becomes the dangerous villain Tighten. However, when Tighten proves to be more of a threat than a hero, Megamind realizes he must stop him himself.
Seeking answers about Tighten’s immunity to copper, Megamind and Roxanne discover a hidden facility beneath the ruins of his old school. There, they stumble upon a very-much-alive Metro Man—enjoying a quiet life as a musician. Metro Man explains that he faked his death to escape the endless cycle of hero-villain battles. Using his superspeed, he escaped the Death Ray just in time, staged his “demise” with a skeleton stolen from a nursing school, and disappeared.
He reveals that he grew disillusioned with the role of being Metro City’s savior and yearned to pursue music instead. Though he refuses to return to heroism, he encourages Megamind to find his own path—to rise as a new kind of hero. This becomes the turning point for Megamind’s redemption.
Megamind Rules!
TBA
Powers and Abilities
As an alien from the Glaupunk Quadrant, Metro Man possesses a vast array of god-like superpowers granted by his extraterrestrial physiology and Earth’s environment. His abilities place him among the most powerful beings in the Megamind universe.
✦ Flight
Metro Man has demonstrated the ability to fly from infancy. His flight speed is extraordinary, allowing him to reach distant locations across Metro City within seconds. For example, during Megamind’s kidnapping of Roxanne, Metro Man arrived on the scene in less than ten minutes.
✦ Superhuman Strength
Metro Man possesses immeasurable superhuman strength. As a child, he was capable of lifting an entire school. Although the exact limits of his strength are unknown, the fact that Tighten could lift a skyscraper suggests Metro Man is potentially strong enough to lift entire landmasses—possibly even continents.
✦ Superhuman Durability / Invulnerability
Metro Man is virtually invulnerable. He effortlessly withstood a direct blast from Megamind’s Death Ray, which was powered by condensed solar energy and functioned as a point-blank nuclear explosion. Despite the intense heat, force, and smoke, he was completely unaffected. He also appears to have no known physical weaknesses.
✦ Superhuman Stamina
Metro Man shows no signs of fatigue, even after extreme physical exertion. He can traverse the entire city in a fraction of a second without slowing down, and he maintains peak physical performance no matter how many locations he visits or how fast he travels.
✦ Superhuman Endurance
Traveling at or beyond the speed of light causes no strain on Metro Man’s body. He experiences no adverse effects such as friction, G-force damage, or physical breakdown, further suggesting near-limitless endurance and pain tolerance.
✦ Supersonic / Light-Speed Movement
Metro Man can move at speeds so high that time appears frozen to him. He can reach any location in Metro City in virtually zero seconds, interacting with the environment and people mid-motion as if they were statues. He is even seen reading a book, opening doors, and eating—all while in this time-dilated state.
✦ Accelerated Perception
His mind operates at speeds capable of processing information and performing actions at light speed or faster. Metro Man can remain aware, focused, and responsive while performing multiple activities simultaneously without error or disorientation.
✦ Superhuman Senses
Metro Man has incredibly heightened senses, allowing him to detect faint smells, distant sounds, and subtle presences across vast distances. His hearing and sense of smell are well beyond human capabilities.
✦ Telescopic Vision
When Roxanne was kidnapped, Metro Man used his telescopic vision to scan massive areas of Metro City rapidly, helping him locate Megamind with incredible precision.
✦ Heat Vision
Metro Man can emit controlled beams of heat from his eyes. Though not shown at full destructive potential, he has demonstrated enough precision and power to pop popcorn, which requires a temperature of at least ~300°F (149°C).
✦ X-Ray Vision
As stated in his musical persona Music Man, Metro Man possesses X-ray vision capable of seeing through solid materials—including lead, which even Superman traditionally cannot see through. This makes his vision especially powerful and rare.
Trivia
- Metro Man is a parody of Superman, sharing many of his iconic powers—such as flight, super strength, and heat vision.
- His X-ray vision, which allows him to see through lead, is a direct jab at Superman’s well-known limitation—the inability to see through lead.
- His fictitious weakness to copper parallels Superman’s vulnerability to kryptonite. However, it’s eventually revealed that Metro Man fabricated this weakness as part of his plan to fake his death.
- Unlike Superman, Metro Man’s secret identity was likely public knowledge, as he openly used his powers in front of his classmates during childhood.
- Metro Man also shares similarities with Batman:
- He was raised by an extremely wealthy family.
- His first name, Wayne, could be a deliberate nod to Batman’s civilian identity, Bruce Wayne.
Foreshadowing His Fake Death
Several moments in the film subtly hint at Metro Man’s retirement and the fact that he faked his death:
- During his speech at the museum inauguration, he says, “Who would I be without you?”—delivered in a somber tone. This line hints at his inner exhaustion and desire to leave his role behind.
- During the Death Ray sequence, just before he is “hit,” there’s a brief flicker of Metro Man on camera. This occurs while the ray is still charging, suggesting he had time to escape using his superspeed.
- Metro Man’s earlier comment about being vulnerable to copper doesn’t take effect immediately. This delay casts doubt on its authenticity—and is further questioned later when Tighten, who has the same powers, emerges unharmed from a copper dome.
- The appearance of a full skeleton after Metro Man’s “death” is unrealistic. If the Death Ray truly vaporized him, his skeleton should not have remained intact.
- When Megamind and Roxanne discover Metro Man’s secret lair beneath their old school:
- His belongings are undisturbed and dust-free, suggesting recent use.
- A glass of water still has ice that hasn’t melted, which wouldn’t be possible if he had been “dead” for a long time.
Other Notes
Despite having a relatively short role in the original Megamind film, Metro Man is listed second in the end credits, immediately after Megamind himself—ahead of Roxanne and Minion, who have more screen time.