'The Boys' Actor Claudia Doumit Says Annie January and Victoria Neuman Are 'Two Sides of the Same Coin'

The Eric Kripke-created series, currently in its fourth season, falls on the opposite spectrum of the superhero genre as it is set in a world where superheroes are not the holier-than-thou cult figures

Actor Claudia Doumit believes her character Victoria Neuman in "The Boys" and Erin Moriarty's Annie January may be on opposite sides of the ideological spectrum in the superhero satire show but deep down they are more similar than they realise.

The Eric Kripke-created series, currently in its fourth season, is a commentary on the superhero genre as it is set in a world where superheroes are not the holier-than-thou cult figures, often seen in Marvel and DC movies.

In "The Boys", based on the comic book of the same name by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, superheroes, known as Supes in the show, are actually selfish and corrupt-to-the-core people who are managed by an evil multinational organisation called The Vought.

Moriarty's Annie, who goes by the name Starlight, is a superhero who uses her position to fight against the injustices of Vought and the society, while Neuman, played by Doumit, is a Congressman who appears to be an ally in the fight against Vought but has hidden motives.

"(They are) Two sides of the same coin. It's about the coexistence of personas. But I think the show does that across the board. There is no black and white.

"If there are people fighting for something, it doesn't resonate with the other side or they feel like they're so far apart but really they're closer than they think. We're the same, we're more similar than you think," Doumit told PTI in a virtual interview.

While Annie represents idealism and the belief that individuals can make a difference by standing up for what is right, Victoria is willing to compromise and manipulate to achieve her goals.

Annie's journey is one of transparency as she exposes the corruption of Vought and also sheds the superhero avatar, whereas Victoria, who goes by the name Head Popper, operates in secrecy and uses her hidden abilities to manoeuvre behind the scenes.

Moriarty said the show represents the polarization of society through its characters.

"Kripke said this once, and I've never forgotten it. The more you dictate a character's storyline, their nuances and the more human you make them, the more relatable they are. And you might instinctually think the more broad you make them, the more relatable they are but their specificities are so different, and yet they're ultimately very grounded in real human issues."

She believes that both Annie and Victoria are actually trying to survive in a very hostile world.

"The coexistence of two personas that I think everyone does is because it's a survivalist mechanism. If you're in survival mode so much, then your objective is just to survive. So what is your real overall objective in life as a human? That can get very lost in the frame," she added.

Adding to the mix is the character of Kimiko, played by Karen Fukuhara.

Another Supe, Kimiko is a victim of human trafficking and was forcibly injected with Compound V, which gives her superhuman abilities. Her traumatic past and the loss of her family has deeply affected her so much that Kimiko does not speak and communicates through gestures and facial expressions.

Showcasing contrasting sides of the character was the best part of the job for Fukuhara, she said.

"The best part about playing Kimiko is that I get to be badass and rip some heads off, but I can also be vulnerable and go through and play those moments," the actor said.

She teased that the fourth season of the Prime Video series will show her past "coming back to haunt her".

"I think in previous seasons, she's kind of viewed herself as a victim. And therefore, she took the actions that she had to take. She learned a big lesson in season three that it was all her choice. And she's gonna get a dose of that same medicine once again in season four in a much deeper sense," she added.

"The Boys" also stars Karl Urban, Antony Starr, Chace Crawford, Jack Quaid, Jessie T Usher, Laz Alonso, Tomer Capone, Colby Minifie, and Cameron Crovetti.

Susan Heyward, Valorie Curry and Jeffrey Dean Morgan are the newcomers in the latest instalment.