The Boys' Antony Starr Wants Cash Money For All Your Homelander Memes
With the overall popularity of "The Boys," it's no surprise that Homelander (Antony Starr) has become a popular star of memes. From Homelander's laser eyes glaring at enemies to him smiling as a plane crashes, there are so many absurd moments from the Prime Video series that meme creators have used in jest to capture everyday frustration, glee, and panic. (Even the introverts have found some comfort in the homicidal character with this meme!)
Arguably, the character's biggest meme hit came from a jaw-dropping moment in "The Boys" Season 3's finale. Within the episode, Homelander kills a Starlight believer (read: civilian) in the light of day. Initially, he looks shocked that he exposed his homicidal impulses in front of a protest crowd, only for his expression to turn to delight when everyone applauds. That shocked-to-pleased-villain-smile moment became a fan-favorite gif — showcasing Homelander's creepy range as a character and an oddly relatable distillation of relief.
Now, Starr seemingly wants compensation for all the delight he's brought to chronically online fans. An account on X (formerly known as Twitter), posted a clip of Starr at a convention where Homelander memes were discussed. "F*** that, if you're a meme creator, pay me!" Starr cheekily said. "I didn't get paid for any of this s***, but I'm everywhere." Sadly, subjects of memes aren't paid for their likeness. Still, meme creators can take solace in knowing that Starr is well aware of their work and support.
Even a brief appearance on Gen V led to more Homelander memes
But why are people so taken with Starr's portrayal of Homelander? He has an incredible knack for expressive facial cues that sing on the small screen — capturing a variety of emotions with a few tics of his eyebrows and glances. Also, it doesn't hurt that Homelander consistently finds himself in bizarre scenarios that make great fodder for memes. He's often looking upset and covered in blood or appearing sinisterly happy with a maniacal smile: A huge range of emotions like these make memes work best for setting up a punchline.
Homelander maybe had a minute of screen time on "Gen V," but even that led to more memes. When Homelander approaches Marie Moreau (Jaz Sinclair), he asks, "What kind of animal are you?" People have taken this line and ran with it, such as TikToker @desiqnzh uploading the clip with the caption, "Me finding out some people put socks on before their underwear." However, the best use of this meme may have come from @blurayangel on X, who captioned the video with, "Everyone hearing Antony Starr wants to be paid for #TheBoys Homelander memes."
Starr won't make any money off the memes any time soon, which is a shame because there's bound to be a flood of new ones shortly. With the trailer for "The Boys" Season 4 released, it's obvious Homelander is still a major player with an axe (and people) to grind.