The season 4 finale of The Boys is now streaming on Prime Video, and the episode - previously titled "Assassination Run" before the recent attempt on Donald Trump's life - concluded with Homelander one step away from the Oval Office... and arguably more deranged and ruthless than ever.
During an interview with Collider, actor Antony Starr was asked if he's still having fun playing the villainous leader of the Seven, and the frequent comparisons to Trump.
"One of the great things that I’ve loved, and I do love about this show, and I will continue to love as we keep going, is the layers that we’ve been able to put in with this character. We’ve always been conscious of making him three-dimensional, and not making him mustache-twirling. I know Eric refers to a certain political figure of our time as a base note for the character, and I think that’s right, but ironically, I think we’ve got more dimension in this character than that human. I’ve always looked at that as there are elements of many different people in there and we’ve been able to really dig in. This season we got to go really deep. We had some really deep, dark Homelander storylines, and I was excited for people to see that. I’m proud of what we did, and I’m proud of the character, as well."
Homelander does seem to show at least some genuine affection for his son, Ryan, but even that relationship is put to the test thanks to the paranoid Supe's ego and his own daddy issues.
In season 3, we learned that Soldier Boy was actually Homelander's biological father, and this week's episode's post-credits scene saw Jensen Akles reprise the role, setting up the character's return in the fifth and final season.
"First of all, on a very personal and selfish note, I’m hoping and praying that I get more scenes with Jensen [Ackles] because we didn’t really," Starr said when asked what he thought this scene could mean for season 5. "I feel like there’s more ground to cover there. And selfishly, I just really like Jensen. He fit in like peas and carrots, and Forrest and Jenny, when he came on board. He’s a great guy to work with. We had a lot of fun. And I think that relationship, in terms of how at the core of the character is loneliness and wanting connection, having a real daddy, a real father, we haven’t explored that. There’s more gold in that seam for us to mine, so I’m excited about that. I don’t wanna get my hopes up too much because I never know. I have no idea what Eric’s gonna do, and every time, I’m wrong. I’m just gonna put those hopes out there, and maybe he’ll see this and grant me my wish."
Solider Boy does not care for his son (he doesn't seem to care for anyone aside from himself), so it probably won't be as simple as Homelander waking him up and gaining a powerful new ally.
How do you see this situation playing out in season 5? Drop us a comment down below.
"The world is on the brink. Victoria Neuman is closer than ever to the Oval Office and under the muscly thumb of Homelander, who is consolidating his power," reads the official season 4 synopsis. "Butcher, with only months to live, has lost Becca’s son as well as his job as The Boys’ leader. The rest of the team are fed up with his lies. With the stakes higher than ever, they have to find a way to work together and save the world before it’s too late."
Returning cast members include Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara, Colby Minifie, Claudia Doumit, and Cameron Crovetti, along with new recruits Susan Heyward, Valorie Curry, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
The first three episodes of The Boys season 4 will be available to stream from June 13th, with new instalments dropping weekly through to the season finale on July 18.