Antony Starr Talks About the Wild Season 4 Finale: “I needed to project that Homelander the fascist, the narcissist, the villain of the piece, is winning, has won”

The Boys, one of the world’s most popular superhero series, wrapped up its fourth season with a bang after eight episodes. Despite receiving mixed reviews initially, the show gained momentum and earned a Certified Fresh rating along with a substantial audience, as confirmed by Amazon and Nielsen. However, the season’s increasing political undertones led to some fans review-bombing it, though the showrunners seemed unfazed.

The season concluded on July 18, 2024, with the release of the final episode, titled “Season Four Finale” (originally “Assassination Run”—check out our special report for details on the title change). We’ve already shared fan and critic reactions to this wildly chaotic finale, which set the stage for the final season in the best possible way.

The creators of the series have also shared their thoughts on the final episode and the season as a whole. In an interview with Vulture magazine, series star Antony Starr, who plays Homelander, discussed the season’s ending and what’s ahead as the show moves into its final season.

Antony Starr spoke with Vulture magazine about the impact of the fourth season, particularly the finale. In the interview, he shared his thoughts on the story and offered insights into what he anticipates for the final season, given the dramatic shift in power dynamics revealed in the finale. Here’s what he had to say:

Homelander and Sage accomplish their coup in the finale and the episode ends with a speech from Homelander, who moves the new President Calhoun out of his way on the podium so he can speak to Americans about his plans. It’s a big cliffhanger for fans who haven’t read the comics. What did you want to project in that moment?

Originally, I was just standing in the background saying nothing. I’m guessing the camera would have pushed past Calhoun onto me just smiling with satisfaction. But my instinct was Calhoun is a bought-and-paid-for puppet, and Homelander’s ego is gonna demand that he is front and center. I said to Eric, “Mate, it’s so in character for Homie to shuffle that guy out of the way and go, ‘Here’s what’s really going to happen.’” Eric absolutely ran with that. Even if we didn’t hear much of what he said, just the physicality of coming in, interrupting, and moving him out of the way says it all.

It’s almost like the end of the second act in a movie, where the heroes are down and out and it looks like they’ve failed. I needed to project that Homelander the fascist, the narcissist, the villain of the piece, is winning, has won. It’s a setup for the Boys to claw back and fight as we go into season five. The show is ultimately about vigilantes trying to take down the evil — what is it in Star Wars? Who are they?

The evil Empire?

Right. They’re trying to take down the empire.

You’re wearing a Rage Against the Machine shirt. You had to bring up Evil Empire.

The show is a little echo of the likes of Rage Against the Machine. It is standing up to the man. Something that has become a bit of a motif is the one-finger salute, which is the Boys’ attitude toward Vought, the Establishment, the government, all of that.

That scene is a step forward for Homelander. It’s also coming off the back of thinking that he completely failed. If Sage hadn’t walked in when he’s sitting there in the rubble, just despondent, what might his next steps have been? I think quite destructive. But she comes in and says, “Nope, it’s all part of the plan. We won. It’s good.”

By the time we get to that speech, Homelander has had nothing to do with it. He’s been a pawn, but he’s twisted it around to make it his own success: No, it wasn’t Sage. I would have got there anyway. This is a character with a colossal ego and a desperate need to be right and keep moving forward. It’s a little bit like a shark: He’s gotta get the water going through the gills, and if he stops moving and catches up with himself, it’s very problematic for him.

Source: Vulture

As you can see, Starr’s perspectives on the season finale align closely with fan opinions and the episode’s plot. Nonetheless, it’s intriguing to hear these first-hand insights, as they provide valuable context about the character and the storyline. That’s all for now, but stay tuned for more updates!

Have any thoughts to share? Let us know in the comments below!

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