The following contains spoilers for The Boys Season 3, now streaming on Prime Video.
The Boys actor Antony Starr draws the behavior of his series villain, Homelander, from two former United States presidents: Donald Trump and Barack Obama.
Speaking with the Los Angeles Times, Starr reiterated that The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke considers Homelander to be like Trump, the controversial Republican president whose single term lasted between 2016 and 2020. "But if you made it too directly Trump, it becomes very two-dimensional," Starr said of the comparison. The actor explained that for Homelander's dialogue though, he actually draws from Obama, the two-term Democratic president who preceded Trump. "I understand exactly what Eric means, and [Homelander murdering a protester before a crowd] was his 'Fifth Avenue' moment, 100%. But with the speechy stuff, if you want someone who can string a sentence together, who does that better than ... Obama?"
The "Fifth Avenue" moment Starr refers to happens in The Boys Season 3 finale. While surrounded by a crowd of Stormchasers supporting the Nazi-rhetoric of Stormfront (Aya Cash), Homelander's ex-girlfriend, Homelander murders a pro-Starlight protestor in front of everyone present, including his own son Ryan (Cameron Crovetti). After a moment of silence, the crowd cheers for Homelander's brutal and violent act. Kripke previously said that this Homelander scene was inspired by Trump's comments that he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue without losing votes.
Homelander Is on Trial and Starlight Is Branded a Traitor
A full year after Season 3 premiered, social accounts for The Boys' in-universe superhero corporation, Vought International, have begun teasing that Homelander will be on trial for the aforementioned murder in The Boys Season 4. In a released video, a public statement from Vought CEO Ashley Barrett (Colby Minifie) referred to Homelander as everyone's "greatest hero" and a "loving father," claiming that Homelander murdered the protestor to protect Ryan. Barrett added, "We have complete faith in the American legal system to get things right, like it always does."
While Vought is fully supportive of Homelander, the fictional company has branded Starlight a traitor ahead of Season 4. On a livestream in Season 3, Starlight/Annie January (Erin Moriarty) publicly quit working for Vought as a member of its premier super team led by Homelander, the Seven. She began working to expose Vought for the evil corporation it is, causing her supporters to rally against the company and Homelander. She officially joined The Boys' anti-supe group by the Season 3 finale.
The Boys' College Spinoff Arrives Before a Weird Season 4
As The Boys continue to wage war against Vought and Homelander next season, Starr has claimed that Season 4 is somehow the weirdest one yet. "There has to be a ceiling, but we can't seem to find it," the actor said. Discussing a specific moment from the upcoming season, Starr continued, "I was looking at the person I was opposite, and I said, 'What are we doing? I can't believe this! I could have done anything else with my life, but here I am doing this?' It was truly the most bizarre thing I've ever done."
The first three seasons of The Boys are available to stream on Prime Video. Season 4 does not yet have an official release date or window, but The Boys' college-themed spinoff, Gen V, is expected to release sometime in Fall 2023. The spinoff will tie into the events of the main series, and features some familiar faces.
Source: Los Angeles Times