The Boys' Anthony Starr Thinks of Homelander as "Daddy" of The Seven

With movies like Aquaman, Captain Marvel, and Avengers: Endgame breaking records at the box office, superheroes are at the absolute height of their Hollywood power. You can't go anywhere without seeing the fictional heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and there's rarely a six-month span in which a Marvel or DC property doesn't have a theatrical opening. Of course, that makes it the perfect time for a show like Amazon's The Boys, which has quickly become a sensation online. The portrayals of the "superheroes" of the story have everyone talking about toxic celebrity culture and the worship of these heroic characters.

Homelander is the epitome of those themes. Not only does he feel as though ordinary people are less than, but he also has a bit of a complex when it comes to his fellow members of The Seven. While speaking to Collider about the first season of The Boys, Homelander actor Anthony Starr said that his character sees himself as the "daddy" of the group, ruling over the other six when he deems it necessary.

"I've always looked at it as Homelander sees these people as his family," Starr said. "Queen Maeve (Dominique McElligott) is a roaring alcoholic, but didn't start that way. She's like a cautionary tale for Starlight, but she didn't start off that way. She started off as young and bright-eyed, and wanted to do good, going in. One of the themes of the show is that power corrupts. These people come in, with superpowers, and they're super talented and super able, and they wanna do good with it, but then the fame, the celebrity and the adulation corrupts them.

"As far as them being so dysfunctional, I think Homelander sees them all as his little babies. That's how I've always looked at it. They're his family, and if anyone messes with the family, then Homelander will come down on them, like a ton of bricks. Within the family, Homelander is daddy, and if they need to be reprimanded, then they'll be reprimanded harshly, as is the case with a couple of the characters that make some mistakes, in his opinion, and get dealt with accordingly. But Homelander sees them as a dysfunctional family."

Homelander's relationships are incredibly complicated, to say the least, especially when you consider his actions at the end of the season. He might be the father of The Seven, but he certainly doesn't value any of the others nearly as much as he does himself.

What did you think of the first season of The Boys? Let us know in the comments!

The Boys is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.