Antony Starr discusses 'The Boys' Season 4 finale, compares heroes to Star Wars’ Empire

Antony Starr reflects on the Season 4 finale, likening the heroes' struggle to that against Star Wars' Empire.

Antony Starr recently delved into the details of his final scene in 'The Boys' Season 4 finale, drawing parallels between his character’s actions and the infamous villains of Star Wars. Speaking to Vulture following the season's premiere on Prime Video, Starr shared insights about the climactic moment where his character, Homelander, seizes control of the United States under martial law enacted by the President.

In this pivotal scene, Homelander pledges to create a safer world by using his army of superheroes to hunt down those he deems "traitors" to the government. Starr revealed that this powerful moment was conceived on set, deviating from the original plan where he was merely a background figure. “Originally, I was just standing in the background saying nothing,” Starr explained. “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.”

Starr further compared the scene to the end of the second act in a movie, setting the stage for an intense final season. He likened the heroes' dire situation to the rebels' fight against the Empire in Star Wars. “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,” Starr said. “I needed to project that Homelander the fascist, the narcissist, the villain of the peace, 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?…Right, they’re trying to take down the empire.”

 'The Boys' Season 4 now available for streaming on Prime Video.