In The Boys, the TV series about a group of covert vigilantes hellbent on taking down a corrupt team of superheroes known as the Seven, Starlight, aka Annie (Erin Moriarty), shines brighter and better than almost anybody else -- both figuratively and literally. Growing up, Starlight idolized the Seven and the notion of serving the greater good. As an adult, Starlight's ability to emit blinding light and force blasts made her the perfect recruit. Annie quickly became disillusioned with the Seven after realizing that they were awful and cashing in on their celebrity status.
Now, along with her boyfriend Hughie (Jack Quaid) and the other Boys, Starlight is more determined than ever to expose her team's dirty little secrets and take apart Vought International, the unscrupulous multi-billion dollar conglomerate they work for. The question remains whether Annie has what it takes to accomplish the task at hand without getting killed first. Erin Moriarty recently spoke with CBR about Starlight's long-term goals, her relationship with Hughie, the addition of Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles), and finding her inner strength.
CBR: In the beginning, a naïve and optimistic Starlight joined the Seven to make a difference. She quickly discovered that they were assholes. Why has she stuck it out with them? What does Annie hope to accomplish?
Erin Moriarty: I think that the fact they are assholes has actually made her stick it out even more, even though, in the beginning, she's not aware of that. Her dream has always been to join Vought, and then [she] realizes the world she has been inducted into. Her objective stays the same. She wants to fight crime. She wants to make the world a better place. The crazy thing is that she realizes that making the world a better place is going to entail taking down the very corporation that she thought was going to help her conquer crime.
How confident and comfortable do you feel Annie is with herself, whether it's with her superpowers or who she is?
There has been a lot of growth with her. I think she definitely had an identity crisis when she realized she was lied to during her upbringing. It really damaged her relationship with her mother, although she finds it again. Naturally, anyone who finds out what they've been told growing up has been a lie, in terms of her relationship with her mother and father, is going to have an identity crisis, but she comes around.
I think in Season 3, we actually see her in the most confident place she's ever been. She has adapted to the world around her. Annie has been exposed to enough where she has digested it, come out the other side, and gained strength. All she does is strategize in response to what she sees. When things change, she continues to strategize. While she is constantly having the internal battle of where the best place to do her work from is, whether it's working from in Vought or outside of Vought, we are going to see her at her most confident within this season, which is really satisfying to see. Not to say she doesn't have her human moments, but her confidence and her identity are gaining with each season and becoming refined.
Starlight plays a real dangerous game with Homelander this season. How over her head do you believe Starlight becomes?
She is not fully aware of how complicated and dangerous this situation is. It's shown in the trailer, but we are seeing Homelander spiral further into a psychosis. Starlight is so different from him that she cannot even begin to fathom his psyche, how to approach him, how to get to him, and how to work with him. As he continues to spiral, she becomes increasingly aware of that. The question is, how is Annie going to fight him? How is she even going to survive him? There are moments where she feels like she can fight him, and there are moments where she thinks he is going to kill her, and she's not going to survive any of this. He's kind of like working with an erratic, unpredictable animal.
When we meet Starlight in Season 3, what does life with Hughie look like?
When we pick up in Season 3, it's a little later, so they've had time to spend time together as a couple. They've established their dynamic. They've established their routine. We get to see them in the thick of their love for each other. They have a bond there that is profound because of what they have both gone through and because of an empathy between them. Even though they aren't abundantly aware that they are the moral compasses of the show, they have found someone in this very corrupt world who looks at things similarly to the way that they do. So, we pick up on them in a lovely place.
The only thing is obviously, because of the circumstances they are in, complications ensue, but we do get to see them in the thick of that love that is very justified by their own background and history. They are in love, and they are best friends, but they have to navigate difficult waters as the season progresses.
Is there a line that Annie will not cross that keeps her morally in check?
The line that Annie will not cross is she will not have any casualties in any missions that she endeavors on. The only person she will put at risk is herself. I think that Hughie, for the greater good, thinks -- and this comes from good intentions -- that certain casualties might be worth it to obtain their goals. Annie will not allow that to happen. That's the line she won't cross, is hurting anyone who is innocent.
Jensen Ackles joined the cast. What does Starlight make of his character, Soldier Boy?
Soldier Boy is kind of the original Homelander. That is not spoiling anything because that is in the comic books. The crazy thing is this is a world where there is already one too many Homelanders. Now, you are taking what is the Homelander 1.0, which is Soldier Boy, and adding him to a world where there is Homelander 2.0. That only adds to the massive list of entities that Starlight has to defeat. Obviously, Soldier Boy's existence in the world threatens the safety of the world. He's extremely destructive. Starlight is dealing with the corporation that is Vought. She's dealing with the psychopathic Homelander, and now there is the original Homelander to add to the mix, who just heightens the stakes.
At the same time, Starlight's previous flame, Supersonic, re-enters the picture. What have you enjoyed about that dynamic?
I really liked exploring that dynamic because we got to see some of Annie's history come forward. They go into a little bit about their history, just anecdotally. It's nice to hear because we see all these characters at present, and they have to stay so present because so much is going on. He brings forward parts of her childhood we have kind of explored. Her having someone from her past, who understands where she comes from, helps her a lot.
I think it's kind of therapeutic because nobody else understands where she comes from, and now he's in this world, as well. While she has certain fears for him because I don't think she wants anyone else inducted into this dangerous evil world of the Seven, she finds someone there who provides her, at that moment, with what she needs. That is who she is, where she comes from, and a friend who is genuinely there to be her friend.
What else are you excited for audiences to see with Starlight?
This is the season Starlight finds her identity... fully. It becomes fully solidified. She becomes so confident in her choices. I am so excited for people to really see her finally find her true identity in this world that she has been seeking out this entire time.
The Boys Season 3 hits Amazon Prime Video on June 3.