Antony Starr, the actor behind the iconic portrayal of Homelander in The Boys, has spoken out against fans who think he’s anything like his character. Homelander is the famously hateful and all-mighty superhero who leads the group known as The Seven, and whose idea of saving the world is contrary to what you would typically see in a TV show or film about superheroes.

In the show, Starr gives life to the most powerful superhero in a world where caped vigilantes walk among us. The Boys is notorious for its social commentary, risky storylines, and satire about one of the most famous film genres in today’s industry. Homelander is the epitome of such satire. But make no mistake. He’s more than just a vicious destroyer of worlds. He has a personality and an interestingly complicated character arc that gets better with each season of the show.

Nevertheless, as much as some think he deserves to be seen as more than his ruthless theatrics, Homelander is today’s sharpest depiction of hate on mainstream television. Today’s society doesn’t seem to understand that there’s a significant line between a performer and the character. Just like we saw in recent days with a character from the film Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Starr has also taken some heat because of his character’s malice.

During an interview with Rolling Stone, Starr claims he feels mildly offended when people assume he’s anything like his evil-Superman character. Crew members are among those who show they’re fearful of the costume. He adds,

People are surprised, like, ‘Oh, my God, you’re actually not like him,’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, he’s a psychopathic narcissist. So yeah, thanks . Thank you for that.’

Antony Starr’s Homelander is Still the Best Character of The Boys

In a very controversial TV show, Homelander is the one character who’s maintained the flame of controversy alive throughout the series. Currently, in its fourth season, The Boys is the story of a gang who tries to fight the leading superheroes at the corporate end. Known as the Boys, the group is the pebble in the show for the Vought corporation, the conglomerate in charge of everything and that has ended up in the hands of Homelander.

In the previous seasons, we were witnesses to his rise to stardom, after facing his fears (yes, he’s most powerful being in the universe, but he’s sensitive) and conundrums, and eventually, he became a father to Ryan (previously fathered by Butcher). In Season 4, Homelander just seems tired of having to take care of everything, but deep inside, he’s still the power-hungry monster with the American flag on his back.

Homelander is now facing what appears to be a midlife crisis, one that he attempts to solve by being a violent problem solver, a bully, and yes, a father who tries to project his views onto his son and heir. He also decides to look back on his past, and for the first time, we saw vestiges of his creation in an episode where he subjected his early caretakers to a horrific ordeal. Nihilism at its finest.

While Homelander, the character, will probably get what he deserves at some point and be punished, there’s no sense in accusing Starr, the performer behind Homelander, of being anything like his character. All people really need to do, fans and crew, is to congratulate him for portraying such a good version of an antagonist, one so effective that some believe he’s like that in real life.

Season 4 of The Boys is currently streaming on Prime Video