Actor Antony Starr has expressed pride over the viral memes inspired by his character Homelander from the hit series The Boys, as anticipation builds for its fifth season on Prime Video.
The show, known for its sharp satire and shocking twists, has consistently dominated pop culture discourse, with Starr's portrayal of the volatile superhero Homelander becoming a major talking point. One particular moment from Season 3, a panic attack scene featuring the 'inflated cheeks' expression, exploded across timelines, turning into one of the most widely shared meme formats from the show, as per the press release.
Reflecting on the unexpected popularity of these memes, Starr said that he finds it "surreal" yet gratifying that younger audiences resonate with the character in unusual ways. He recalled being unaware of how expressive his performance appeared on screen, only to later discover that fans had turned the moment into humorous edits circulating online.
"I love that young people seem to connect with this character in a very strange way. There's one shot from season three, where Homelander has a panic attack. I didn't know that my cheeks were so elasticated, so rubbery...! Two years later, all these kids were blowing my cheeks up like hot air balloons; there was a whole sequence of memes going around. It's surreal. There are elements of the show, if not the entire show, that are firmly in the collective pop culture's consciousness; it's great. It's indicative of how the show has really gotten into people's minds; it's fun. I'm proud of Homelander's memes," Starr said in a statement.
Based on the best-selling comic created by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, the show has been developed by Eric Kripke. It features an ensemble cast including Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Erin Moriarty and Chace Crawford, among others.
Produced by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios with Kripke Enterprises, Original Film, and Point Grey Pictures, The Boys Season 5 will premiere with Episode 1 and 2 on Prime Video on April 8, followed by weekly releases every Wednesday until the finale on May 13. This season will be available to stream in the English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada languages.
