In the years that Antony Starr has played psychopathic supe Homelander on The Boys, it appears that there are fans of the show who genuinely support the leader of The Seven despite his obvious portrayal as the antagonist, and Starr himself can't believe it.
Homelander is a sympathetic villain, as he never had the chance to live a normal life. Because he was Vought's guinea pig throughout his childhood, Homelander's backstory is tragic. However, he is still a monstrous manchild who wants things his way and uses his God-like powers to accomplish his goals. For that reason, Starr questioned why there are The Boys fans who are on his side.
While talking with The LA Times, Starr gave his thoughts on fans' genuine support for Homelander. “There’s a very strange thing that’s happened with the character, though he is clearly not a good guy,” Starr said. He continued by saying that Homelander fits the worst-case scenario as Superman. “A lot of people have glommed onto him. There’s a weird element out there that actually kind of idolize him. I’ve seen some shit on Twitter and I’m like, ‘Wait, What? You are missing the point entirely!’ What if Superman were a narcissistic sociopath?" Starr added that showrunner Eric Kripke sees Homelander as Donald Trump. “I understand exactly what Eric means, and [Homelander murdering a protester before a crowd] was his ‘Fifth Avenue’ moment, 100%."
Much like Trump, Homelander will have to stand trial for his actions that could see him convicted after he brutally murdered that Starlight supporter without hesitation for throwing an object at his son. Despite his crime, the real consequence is that Homelander realized right then and there that he could kill whoever he pleased, and he would still have supporters that would worship him no matter what. He no longer has to hide who he is, making this situation go from bad to worse.
Despite having all the same powers as Superman, Homelander's tale is a demonstration of the evil someone is truly capable of when they were never given the chance to have a normal life growing up and always expect to get what they want no matter how much damage it does to others because of the power they possess. Who knows how Homelander would have turned out had he been given the proper childhood he deserved?
The Evil Superman trope has been explored extensively over the last decade, from the popular video game Injustice to Invincible's Omni Man. However, how The Boys nails the trope with Homelander is that he is the ultimate trump card - no pun intended - and a ticking time bomb. Season by season, Homelander has begun to care less and less about his public image and more and more about getting what he truly wants - Supe Supremacy. With Homelander's opponents nearly succeeding in overpowering him last season and Homelander finding out who his biological father was, Homelander's priorities are not only changing, but they will likely lead to more people dying at his hands. It's not if he's going to lose it. It's when.
The Boys seasons 1-3 can be streamed on Amazon Prime.
Source: The LA Times