Homelander, The Best Thing Since The Joker

From mythology carved into stone to films gracing the big screen, villains have always been a captivating part of storytelling. Now more than ever, villains have been more focused on, given their due, and given some time to expand their roles and recognizability. Comic book movies have given multiple villains a chance to showcase their lore. In some cases, they have immortalized them. It’s the quality of their portrayal, their handling, and execution of the actor that ascends these characters. The one man who did it the best, who has set the bar, and set the standard of what great villains should be, is none other than Heath Ledger when he brought The Joker to life. The presence, unpredictability, and power that Ledger brought to the Joker elevated the character beyond the high level the character was already on.  Many still consider Ledger’s Joker as the greatest comic book villain of all. Some have taken a shot to claim that throne like Josh Brolin’s Thanos and Tom Hiddleston’s Loki. Despite the great performances, the throne still belongs to Ledger’s Joker. But there is one that is inching toward that spot. There is one actor and character that has brought similar intensity to their role. An actor that demands the attention of audiences, keeps them holding their breath. This particular character, that this actor has brought to life, is the only man in the sky, the leader of the Seven, and can do whatever he wants. Antony Starr has made Homelander such a powerful presence.  So much in fact, that he rivals Ledger’s Joker.

First off, what makes villains so great, is their presence. They need to force an audience to have a response when they get on screen, to make the audience have this ‘oh no’ moment. Their simple presence alone should be intimidating. The fact that they don’t need to use their abilities, skills, training, and physicality and still be the most intimidating force in the room, shows that they are the alpha predator. Their resolve is what’s terrifying. Ledger brought that energy to Joker. In the scene where he is being held at the precinct, Joker is calm, collected, and in control. He has Gordon and Batman on him but keeps his nerve. Even when he pushes Batman past his limit, Joker is still gathered. That scary calm continues to the next scene when Joker is mocking the cop about killing other cops. He isn’t laughing, flaying his body, or even yelling. He is relaxed and smooth. His manipulation broke the cop with perhaps one of the best, coldest, and most ruthless lines ever said by a villain; “In their last moments, people show you who they really are. Would you like to know which of them were cowards?”. Starr does the same with Homelander. When characters are around him, they are on full alert, scared even. In the first season, Homelander calls in The Deep for a one-on-one meeting, and every moment is heavy. Homelander isn’t yelling, moving fast, and doesn’t even come close to using any of his abilities. Yet, The Deep feels that intimidation. An innocent hand on his shoulder is more than enough to make him fear for his life. At the end of season two, Homelander innocently walks back into his cabin after he realizes he’s been played by Butcher and Vought, and is filled with tension. His asking about Butcher and closing the door was more tense than his yelling. Yes, there are many times when Homelander is shouting and being physical with his powers. But it’s when he is calm that he is the most dangerous. His unpredictability and his unhinged nature are showcased brilliantly at those moments. His powers are just secondary offensives. Homelander perfectly relies on his somewhat calm presence to get a lot of jobs done.  Any character that steals away focus, demands attention, invokes fear, stirs concern, dictates respect, and makes others go stiff just by simply being in a room, is a great character.  Homelander does all the above.

What elevates the character more is he is a villain who wins. In his mission to have an iron grip on everything, Homelander wins a few rounds. He gets the upper hand or, at least. he has moments where he shows his dominance and his prowess, much like Ledger’s Joker. The Joker won every time he appeared. Even in those moments where he appears to lose, in fact, it was a part of his scheme to do so. When he gets captured by Gordon and Batman, he wants that. At the end where Batman has him hung upside down, The Joker’s main mission of turning Harvey Dent cruel was already in motion. That was the endgame for him. The Joker won even though he was at the mercy of Batman. Homelander has similar moments. Perhaps the best moment of season three of The Boys, where Homelander breaks free from Vought’s control at his birthday event, has everyone terrified and angry. He has everyone scrambling. He then forces Newman to out Stan Edgar so he has full control of Vought. At the end of season one, he gets rid of Madelyn Stillwell within hours of finding his son. and puts Starlight in a bind by forcing her into a relationship. Homelander isn’t a villain that serves as a punching bag.  He isn’t a bullet sponge. Homelander gets back and plans ahead multiple times.  Through force, reputation, and manipulation, Homelander can keep the protagonist off balance. Beat them to the punch. Hold and keep them down. By doing so, it takes away the Gary and Mary Sue archetypes for the heroes. Shows that they can be beaten. At the same time, it makes Homelander something that any great villain is; formidable. 

There’s no doubting that Homelander is a villain but there are different types of villains. The kind he falls into is the sympathetic villain category. Of course, Homelander is cruelly, harshly, and heartlessly evil, yet there were factors that steered him that way. From birth, he was seen and treated as a product, not a child. He was isolated and forced to be the main accessory for a crooked organization. As evil as he is, there is, as far-fetched as it may sound, some understanding, some sympathy for him. That creates an uncomfortable link between the character and the audience. It may not create sturdy grounds to root for him outright but it does create a sensible reason as to why he is that way. Homelander is not a product of his decisions, he is the product of other people’s heartless and greedy decisions. With that upbringing and teaching, Homelander is a powder keg of conflicting factors. He is powerful physically but weak emotionally. That adds up to him being broken. At times, he shows his strength. Other times, he shows he is vulnerable. It may lessen his formidable status as mentioned above but it also shows he is a layered character and shows he has depth. Great characters are never one-dimensional. Going back and forth of displaying strength and falling due to weaknesses, gives Homelander authenticity. Something that can be felt. This is where Homelander may have a leg up on Ledger’s Joker. As great as Joker was, he never had that moment where he created some room for sympathy. It’s not wrong by any stretch of the imagination. yet Homelander’s broken status adds more versatility to his character. 

These are two great villains, who share a lot of common traits. Even saying “Look at me!” in such a terrifying manner. They have found success in their own stories and have garnered a fan base due to how well their characters were treated, handled, and adapted. Homelander and Starr have the benefit of being in a series which gives more time for the character to grow and be seen.  But the fact Ledger was Joker in limited screen time and is still seen as the standard speaks greatly of him. Yet, Starr is doing such a great job as Homelander, that there are pleas for him to be nominated for his performance, but when it comes to playing a villain, Starr just has it when he is Homelander. The energy, the intimidation, it’s all there. There is a terrifying power he controls perfectly.  The same power Ledger has as The Joker.