The Boys is known for its unhinged portrayal of flawed superheroes, which has garnered critical acclaim. Thanks to its unique concept, actors including Antony Starr, Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, and Erin Moriarty have also become household names due to their incredible character portrayals. As the show is known for pushing boundaries to showcase flaws to its best, Season 4 is no exception.
One of the standout moments, however, came from Starr, whose portrayal of the charming yet brutal Homelander has consistently captivated audiences. The showrunner, Eric Kripke, recently spilled the beans on how he completely improvised the most horrifying scene of his character, making it more menacing.
Antony Starr’s Sinister Homelander Scene in The Boys Season 4
The Boys presented a gritty view of superheroes as corrupt and flawed individuals. Based on the comic book series by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, it blended dark humor with intense action and brutality that quickly garnered global attention.
Among the standout elements is Antony Starr‘s portrayal of Homelander, whose chilling complexity has made him one of the most memorable antagonists in television history.
The leader of Vought’s premier superhero team, The Seven, embodies the ultimate corruption of power. Possessing god-like abilities, he lacks any moral compass, making him a formidable yet sinister force.
Although several scenes are enough to validate his sinister personality, he shocked audiences with a menacing scene in Episode 4 of Season 4.
The scene in context took place during the supe’s visit to the Vought lab where he was raised and abused in the name of “research.” His younger years heavily impacted his personality, as The Seven leader is manipulative, sadistic, and deeply insecure.
Returning to the lab, he tormented the workers, first killing the scientist who experimented on him by burning him alive in the same incinerator where they used to test his invincibility.
Then he set his eyes on Marty, the man who gave him the nickname Squirt after he was caught m**turbating when he was a teenager. To punish Marty, he forced him to pleasure himself in front of the employees.
What’s worse was yet to arrive, as he mocked him for being unable to reach climax before eventually lasering his private parts. However, he released an unhinged laughter before his eventual torture which made the situation downright scary and this particular moment was not in the script.
The Bone-Chilling Homelander Laughter Was Unscripted!
What’s now regarded as one of his most sinister scenes from the show was entirely improvised by the actor himself. The Marty scene where the supe unleashed maniacal laughter was enough to point out that the moment was horrifying.
The showrunner, Eric Kripke delved into the scene’s details, revealing that the actor improvised the moment. In an interview with TVLine, Kripke told the outlet about the exact scene, written in the script.
To be clear, that was not scripted. In the script, he blasts the guy and then walks over to him.
He got candid about his reaction to watching Starr enacting yet improvising the scene at the time.
When Ant is playing that laugh, when I saw it in the dailies, I just was like, ‘Jesus Christ, that could be the scariest I’ve ever seen Homelander.’
Starr’s impeccable delivery touched Kripke’s heart who praised him for his performance while announcing to give him a prestigious honor for his craft.
I’ve seen hundreds of hours of Homelander film. That to me was just such a terrifying and brilliant performance, and I would like to announce my campaign entitled Give That Guy an Emmy Already.
Kripke’s call for Starr to receive an Emmy is well-deserving as the actor has brought his nuanced performance that was unwritten on the page. Not to mention, his improvisation further reflects his deep understanding of his character, who impressed the audience and creators with his acting prowess.
The Boys is available on Prime Video.
