Antony Starr reacts to fans glorifying Homelander in The Boys, calls it ‘surreal’

Antony Starr, who portrays the supervillain Homelander in The Boys, recently expressed surprise at how some fans glorify the character, calling the reaction “surreal.”

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Starr revealed he and the cast had to push back on social media after noticing that fans were idolizing the ultra-violent and authoritarian supe. “We had a bunch of guys that we all kind of knocked down a little bit on social media to say, ‘This guy is not the hero of any story.’ They were really glorifying him — they loved him, which was surreal,” he said.

Starr admitted he didn’t expect fans to feel conflicted about the character, adding, “What I didn’t expect was that people would be so conflicted around it and, you know, finding themselves feeling empathy for this monster.”

His remarks echo those of The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke, who addressed similar reactions ahead of Season 4. Kripke responded to claims the show had become “woke” and fans viewing Homelander as a hero. “Anyone who wants to call the show ‘woke’ or whatever, that’s OK. Go watch something else,” Kripke said. “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.”

Kripke also confirmed that Homelander was designed as a metaphor for authoritarian figures, notably former U.S. President Donald Trump. “Suddenly, we were telling a story about the intersection of celebrity and authoritarianism and how social media and entertainment are used to sell fascism.”

The Boys is currently filming its fifth and final season, which will wrap up the Prime Video hit series.