If there is one character from the superheroverse that has completely transfixed audiences over the last decade or so, it is Homelander from The Boys. The big bad of the Eric Kripke show, played by Antony Starr, has generated memes and pop culture moments and launched the actor into global stardom. As The Boys comes to a close with its final season this year, the Kiwi actor sat down with Hindustan Times in an exclusive chat about his journey, Homelander’s fate, and the character’s misinformed ‘fan club’.
‘Real-life inspiration not very helpful’
The fifth and final season of The Boys sees Homelander take charge of governance from behind the scenes, even getting the President to do his bidding. His dictator turn has fans speculating whether the characterisation is inspired by a real-life dictator. But Antony denies taking any such inspiration. “The funny thing is, people compare to people in the real world, but it’s actually not very helpful. So I never found that very informative, instructional, or helpful. Frankly, because you’ve got to build it from the inside out, unless it is literally doing a biopic,” says the actor.
Antony’s portrayal of the Homelander has earned him praise from fans as well as two Critics’ Choice Award nominations. Talking about where he draws the megalomaniacal character from, he tells us, “If you base it exclusively on one person or two people, it becomes quite two-dimensional. And I never want to be that. So, from my perspective, everything has come from within me, and I’m trying to do what I can with the writing that’s been provided to me. And then the characters are brilliant. So it was really an exercise in serving the writing, and we were just lucky that the writing team is fantastic.”
‘He is quite obviously the bad guy’
Homelander is quite obviously the villain in The Boys. He is a superpowered individual who is rounding up minorities and dissidents and pushing them into internment camps, while brutally murdering anyone who dares speak against him. Yet, a section of the audience feels he is an anti-hero or even a hero. Responding to their take on the character, he says, “A few years ago, there were a few people, a very small minority of people who were, that sort of idolised the character. And they really got the wrong end of the stick, because he’s quite obviously the bad guy.”
Talking about why people misunderstand Homelander’s moral compass, Antony feels it’s because the writing gives his motivations, which many mistake for justification. “I’ve never looked at him as the bad guy, and I think maybe that’s why people have sort of responded the way that they have, where people love to hate him, but also have some sense of understanding of why he is,” he says. “We’ve never tried to redeem the character or make him sympathetic, but we have tried to explain who he is and why he is who he is. And I think that there’s a level of authenticity in that, and we’ve managed to strike a chord with people one way or another.”
All about The Boys S5
The final season of The Boys premiered on Amazon Prime Video on April 8, with the first two episodes releasing. There will be a weekly release after this, continuing through the finale on May 20. The Boys season 5 also stars Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Erin Moriarty, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara, Nathan Mitchell, Colby Minifie, Cameron Crovetti, Susan Heyward, Valorie Curry, and Jensen Ackles.