‘The Boys’ Homelander and Butcher Stars Have More in Common Than Their Powers
Prime Video‘s smash hit superhero satire The Boys just wrapped up its action-packed third season. The show follows the titular team of vigilantes as they attempt to expose the corrupt corporation Vought, which is responsible for creating a chemical compound that gives people superpowers. The Boys cast includes Karl Urban as Billy Butcher and Antony Starr as Homelander. And these two have a lot in common both on and off the show.
[Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Boys Season 3.]
Who are Homelander and Butcher on ‘The Boys’?
On The Boys, Antony Starr plays Homelander, the megalomaniac leader of superhero team The Seven. Corrupted by delusions of unbridled power, Homelander believes his superpowers make him superior to everyone. And he doesn’t hesitate to attack anyone who gets in his way — including higher-ups at Vought, The Boys, or even other superheroes.
Karl Urban plays Butcher, a gruff vigilante with one singular goal: to wipe out all supes (superpowered people). Butcher’s motives are personal. Homelander kidnapped Butcher’s wife, Becca, leading him to create his team of supe hunters, The Boys.
Antony Starr and Karl Urban have something significant in common
Although they may be enemies on screen, Urban and Starr actually have a lot in common in real life. For one, they both call New Zealand home.
“It’s funny, because Karl Urban is a Kiwi as well,” Starr told The Spinoff in 2020. “We’ve got an American show with a Kiwi playing an all-American hero psychopath and another Kiwi playing an Englishman. It’s a pretty bizarre mix-up.”
It’s pretty ironic that the show’s all-American, hyper-nationalistic antagnonist is actually played by a New Zealand native. And it’s a fact that Starr himself seems to get a kick out of.
Even after playing Homelander for a while, Starr revealed in the same interview that he (understandably) still doesn’t have any sympathy for his character.
“I definitely think he’s a corporate creation,” Starr said of Homelander. He continued: “I don’t know that he has any redeemable qualities.”
How Homelander and Butcher mirror each other in ‘The Boys’ Season 3
Even though the actors may be good friends behind the scenes, Butcher and Homelander have intense, seething chemistry on screen. The playing field was, to an extent, leveled in season 3 after Butcher gained temporary superpowers. Consequently, their fight scenes were bloodier and more extreme than ever.
The Boys Season 3 built to one epic, final showdown between Butcher, Soldier Boy, Maeve, Kimiko, and Homelander. Viewers also got a glimpse at what’s to come in season 4, as the finale ended with a major cliffhanger involving Homelander’s son, Ryan.
The use of temporary Compound V was a bit of a moral dilemma for the rest of the team throughout the season. They saw Hughie and Butcher dosing themselves with temporary Compound V as hypocritical to what The Boys were about: putting an end to Vought and other supes. And by the end of the season, Butcher has essentially become what he swore to destroy: a superhero. However, his powers are short-lived.
The Boys Season 3 finale is available to stream on Prime Video now.
