‘The Boys’ Star Antony Starr Discusses Homelander and Thanos’ Philosophies
Antony Starr is stirring up conversation once more after sharing his insights on Thanos and the underlying philosophy of the Marvel villain’s actions.
In a recent interview with Wired, the actor who portrays Homelander in ‘The Boys’ acknowledged that while Thanos committed horrific acts in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he understands why some fans resonate with the character’s beliefs.
Starr elaborated that a significant aspect of Thanos’ impact as a villain stems from his conviction that he was acting for the greater good. “He was doing a horrific thing, but he had such a good philosophy behind it about balancing the universe. And there’s a little part of me that’s like, ‘He’s got a pretty good point.’”
However, Starr quickly clarified that Homelander is fundamentally different from Thanos regarding motivation and personality. According to him, Homelander lacks a noble mission to save humanity or restore balance.
Instead, the character is propelled by ego, insecurity, and an intense craving for love and control. Nonetheless, Starr believes both villains resonate with audiences for similar reasons. “The point being, he’s complex. There’s more to him than just the bad guy, and I think people respond to that.”
Many fans are debating whether Starr’s perspective on Thanos holds merit. Interestingly, the Marvel universe has depicted individuals who agreed with the Mad Titan’s philosophy. In series like ‘Hawkeye’ and ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’, references were made to people believing life improved after “The Blip,” when half of the universe vanished.
Although Homelander and Thanos are entirely different characters, they are frequently compared due to their immense power and danger within their respective realms. In terms of sheer strength, Thanos is undeniably on another level. Even without the Infinity Gauntlet, he was capable of overpowering Hulk, defeating Thor, and battling entire teams of Avengers simultaneously. Once he acquired the Infinity Stones, he became virtually unstoppable, erasing half of all life in the universe with a mere snap.
While Homelander is a terrifying figure in ‘The Boys’, his power scale is significantly smaller compared to Marvel’s cosmic characters.
He possesses super strength, laser vision, flight, and near invulnerability, making him nearly impossible to defeat in his universe. However, he has never encountered threats comparable to Avengers-level heroes or cosmic entities. Much of Homelander’s fear factor stems from his emotional instability and broken psyche rather than the magnitude of destruction he can inflict.
This distinction is what makes both villains intriguing in their own unique ways. Thanos is calm, focused, and believes that sacrifice is essential for the greater good.
In contrast, Homelander primarily acts out of emotion and rage. One seeks control over the universe to “fix” it, while the other desires control simply because he feels entitled to it.
With only a few episodes remaining in the final season of ‘The Boys’, fans are left wondering if Homelander’s conclusion could have a similar impact as Thanos did following ‘Avengers: Endgame’. Currently, Thanos is still regarded as one of the MCU’s most formidable villains, and Antony Starr clearly comprehends why audiences continue to discuss him years later.
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