Antony Starr, the actor behind *The Boys'* chilling supervillain Homelander, has opened up about the unexpected fan response to his character—some viewers actually glorify him. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Starr described the phenomenon as “surreal,” especially given Homelander’s brutal, authoritarian behavior throughout the series.
“We had a bunch of guys that we all kind of knocked them down a little on social media to say, 'This guy is not the hero of any story,'” Starr explained. “They were really glorifying him, they loved him. Which is surreal.”
He added that he didn’t anticipate how many fans would empathize with or even root for such a morally corrupt character—one who rules The Seven through fear, violence, and unchecked power. “What I didn't expect was that people would be so conflicted around it and, you know, finding themselves finding empathy for this monster.”
Showrunner Echoes Concerns
Starr’s remarks align closely with comments made by *The Boys* showrunner Eric Kripke ahead of Season 4. Kripke directly addressed fans who label Homelander a hero or accuse the show of being “woke.”
“Anyone who wants to call the show 'woke' or whatever, that’s OK. Go watch something else. But I’m certainly not going to pull any punches or apologize for what we’re doing,” Kripke stated.
On the misinterpretation of Homelander as a protagonist, he added: “Some people who watch it think Homelander is the hero. What do you say to that? The show’s many things. Subtle isn’t one of them. So if that’s the message you’re getting from it, I just throw up my hands.”
A Deliberate Political Parallel
When asked whether Homelander was intentionally modeled after former U.S. President Donald Trump, Kripke confirmed it was no accident. The character’s rise to power was designed as a commentary on celebrity culture, authoritarianism, and the dangerous influence of social media.
“When Seth [Rogen] and Evan [Goldberg] and I took it out to pitch, it was 2016,” Kripke said. “Trump was the, ‘He’s not really getting the nomination, is he?’ guy. When he got elected, we had a metaphor that said more about the current world.”
“Suddenly, we were telling a story about the intersection of celebrity and authoritarianism and how social media and entertainment are used to sell fascism. We’re right in the eye of the storm. And once we realized that, I just felt an obligation to run in that direction as far as we could.”
*The Boys* will conclude with Season 5, currently in production, promising a dramatic and thematically charged finale to its sharp, unflinching critique of power, fame, and morality in modern society.
