Antony Starr says Coachella attendees were probably much closer to getting a surprise Homelander appearance during Metro Boomin’s set than they realized.
In a recent GQ interview alongside his The Boys castmates, the actor—whose speech from the episode “The Only Man in the Sky” is sampled on Metro’s album-opening 2022 track "On Time"—pointed to this key moment for the Seven leader as simultaneously serving as “the beginning of my rap career.”
Within the story of the series, the fourth season of which launched this week, Starr noted that this speech marks a prophetic first for the character.
“It’s the first time Homelander really broke character and decided to really show who he is,” Starr said. “He learns, ‘Oh wow, I can be myself and they love me for it.’”
As for the Metro connection, Starr was quick to point out the “deep affection” he has for the chart-topping producer behind recent Billboard 200 No. 1 debut We Don’t Trust and We Still Don’t Trust You.
“It just happened to be the beginning of my deep affection for, and relationship with, Metro Boomin,” said Starr, whose strait-laced “Booming” pronunciation was immediately met with laughter from his fellow actors. In fact, Starr says he and Boomin are close enough to be in touch about ultimately scrapped performance ideas, including that aforementioned would-be Coachella 2023 highlight.
“He did Coachella and at one point he was in touch with me going, ‘Maybe you come out after,’” Starr said.
As fans will recall, Metro was on the bill for the 2023 edition of Coachella, which hit Indio mere months after the release of his “On Time”-featuring Heroes & Villains. With that album, Metro built a universe that just this week was even further expanded with the launch of the producer's The Metroverse comic book.
The Boys, meanwhile, is currently in the middle of rolling out its fourth season on Prime Video. A confirmed fifth season, notably, will serve as the satirical superhero hit's final round.
