Amazon Prime’s hit original series The Boys has earned some major appreciation following its release. Exploring a world where superheroes exist, but they don’t exactly have the most heroic intentions, the show featured Antony Starr as the renowned character of Homelander.
But surprisingly, before Antony Starr read the script and believed that the role deserved someone like Henry Cavill, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s son, Patrick almost got hired to play Homelander. Eventually, despite having no intention to play the leader of the top group of heroes, Starr landed the acclaimed role.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Son Almost Played Homelander
Currently associated with Gen V, the spinoff of Amazon’s The Boys, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s son, Patrick almost starred in the original show. Playing the role of Golden Boy in Gen V, the actor told Variety how he initially auditioned to play the role of Homelander.
Meeting him years ago when he auditioned for the renowned role in the original series, producers of The Boys were mesmerized by his performance. Thus, upon deciding to come up with a spin-off series, Patrick Schwarzenegger was immediately reached out for the role of Golden Boy.
“They were just like, ‘It’s about this. This is the character. This is what’s going to happen in this,’. I was like, ‘OK, it’s The Boys. I know it’s going to be something crazy but it’s an amazing show.’ … And then when I started reading [the scripts] on set, I was like, ‘Oh boy, this is going to be, yeah, this will be fun and interesting.’”
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s son might not have landed the role in the original show, but he certainly mesmerized his fans with his performance in The Boys spin-off Gen V.
Antony Starr Believed Henry Cavill Deserved The Role
Patrick Schwarzenegger undoubtedly lost the role of Homelander to Antony Starr, but apparently, the latter had no intentions of starring in the pivotal role. After Schwarzenegger auditioned for The Boys, producers wanted to cast Starr. But when the actor read the script, he believed someone else deserved the role.
According to Antony Starr, the role of Homelander demanded someone like Henry Cavill. Given his physicality and the aura of dominance, Starr believed Cavill should be the ultimate face of Homelander. Given that the character was essentially the psychopath’s version of Superman, no one but the Man of Steel actor could have played the role better.
“I didn’t look at [the script] for a week and a half and then I saw it was a superhero thing and I thought they’re not going to pick me anyway, I’m not made for that. Henry Cavill’s 12 feet tall, built like a 12-foot brick s*** house and he’s wonderful, handsome, and charming-I’m not going to get that.” Starr told Metro UK.
But then Antony Starr landed the role and was widely praised as Homelander. Eventually, not Patrick Schwarzenegger, not Henry Cavill but Starr played the leader of the top group of heroes, in The Boys.
