'Antony Starr on Homelander: Not a Hero, Fans' Glorification Surreal'

Homelander actor Antony Starr has expressed his astonishment at the unexpected admiration some The Boys fans have for the deeply disturbed character he portrays, describing the phenomenon as “surreal.”

Since its 2019 debut, The Boys has become a cultural juggernaut on Prime Video, blending hyper-violent action with biting satire and dark humor to deconstruct the superhero genre. Based on the comic series by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, the show follows a group of vigilantes known as “The Boys” as they take on a corrupt superhero elite led by Homelander—a twisted, Superman-like figure who embodies unchecked power and narcissistic tyranny.

Homelander dominates The Seven through fear and overwhelming strength, wielding his abilities with zero accountability. His fellow supes live in constant dread, knowing that defiance could mean instant, brutal retribution. He is, by every measure, a supervillain—yet, to the surprise of the creators and cast, some fans have begun to idolize him.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Starr revealed he’s had to confront fans online who treat Homelander as a hero.

“We had a bunch of guys that we all kind of knocked them down a little but on social media to say, 'This guy is not the hero of any story,'” Starr said. “They were really glorifying him, they loved him. Which is surreal.”

He admitted he didn’t anticipate viewers developing empathy for such a morally bankrupt character, despite the show’s complex storytelling.

“What I didn't expect was that people would be so conflicted around it and, you know, finding themselves finding empathy for this monster.”

Starr’s remarks echo concerns previously voiced by The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke ahead of Season 4. Kripke addressed both the backlash labeling the show as “woke” and the baffling trend of fans defending Homelander.

“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.

“To those who think Homelander is the hero—well, the show isn’t subtle. If that’s the takeaway you’re getting, I just throw up my hands.”

Kripke also confirmed that Homelander was conceived as a symbolic reflection of real-world authoritarian figures, particularly Donald Trump. The character’s rise to power, fueled by celebrity worship and media manipulation, was intentionally designed to mirror political developments during the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

“When Seth [Rogen] and Evan [Goldberg] and I took it out to pitch, it was 2016. We just wanted to do a very realistic version of a superhero show, one where superheroes are celebrities behaving badly. 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,” Kripke explained.

“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.”

As The Boys races toward its conclusion, Season 5 is now in production, promising a final confrontation that will determine who survives the explosive clash between power, propaganda, and resistance.

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