The Boys star Nathan Mitchell confirmed if the big Homelander-Black Noir twist from the original comics was ever considered for the Amazon Prime Video series.
In the source material, it is eventually revealed that Black Noir is a secret Homelander clone hiding in plain sight. The idea was to have this secret weapon ready to activate if Homelander ever needed to be taken off the board.
In the show, however, that ended up not being the case. For this adaptation, the character had ties to World War II and the superhero team Payback, where he worked alongside Jensen Ackles’ Soldier Boy.
Following Noir’s death at the hands of Homelander in Season 3, a new person was hired to replace him. This version of the character is simply a Compound-V powered-up drama student who is looking to make it big as an actor.
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Was Black Noir Ever Homelander's Clone?
In an exclusive interview with The Direct's Russ Milheim, The Boys' Black Noir actor Nathan Mitchell revealed the truth behind whether it was ever considered to have the big Homelander-Black Noir twist from the comics play out in the Amazon Studios series.
Mitchell revealed how "before [they] started Season 1," showrunner Eric Kripke flat out said, "Yeah, we're not doing that:"
"So when I took the role, I knew that was obviously a possibility. And I remember very early in the process before we started filming Season 1, I had a question about that part of the story, in regards to the suit and how it looked and what the direction was going to be. And I asked Eric [Kripke] a question, and he was like, 'Yeah, we're not doing that.' So, before we started Season 1, that was a decision that he'd come to."
While the actor has portrayed the character since Season 1, it took until Season 4, Episode 6 before Mitchell got to take his mask off on-screen.
To finally be able to do that as Noir "was just amazing," Mitchel admitted:
"It's one of those things, like when I took the role, I was told the mask is always going to be on, the character doesn't speak. So, while I had hopes, it was never guaranteed. And so to finally get that opportunity, it was just amazing. It's so much fun. I love working with Chase [Crawford]. And we got the opportunity to do a really fun scene."
In Episode 7 of Season 4, Mitchell got to play this new Noir in a massive fight scene in The Boys' headquarters of the Flat Iron Building. Not only does he get to throw Karl Urban's Butcher around, but it is revealed Noir can fly.
In describing filming that scene, the actor noted how "it was a lot of fun" and it's always "a highlight" for him when he gets to "throw punches" or "do massive amounts of damage as Noir:"
"There's a lot of mayhem and a lot of destruction in that scene. You know, the flat iron gets obliterated, and the headquarters are obviously no longer there after that. And it was a lot of fun. I also have to say we have an amazing stunt team that helps us out with all these fights and all these amazing moves that we wouldn't be able to do this without. But anytime you get to throw punches or just do massive amounts of damage as Noir, it's a highlight for me."
The Black Noir seen in the first three seasons is far different from the one audiences got to know in Season 4.
When it comes to the original version of the character, Mitchell explained how "his vulnerability and his quirkiness" were his favorite elements of the silent Supe:
"With old Noir, I think it's his vulnerability and his quirkiness. The contrast is in how he can rip someone to shreds. Literally rip their jaw apart, and then see a scared little kid and want to comfort him with a stuffed bunny rabbit. Or, like, have empathy for Lucy the Whale. That's the most enjoyable part of Noir for me. And obviously, his cartoon, imaginary friends, and his whole world."
For this new Noir, Mitchell enjoyed "playing [the character's] ambition to do the best he can," and he described this newbie as "more of a teenager:"
"With new Noir, I think it is playing his confusion in his ambition to do the best he can at this role is really fun. And then when you see it bubble over into frustration. There is an innocence with new Noir too. I feel like if Old Noir was like a child inside, like he has this inner child, New Noir is a bit more of a teenager. But he's stepping into this world where he's an average everyday guy who has to do these heinous things. And I feel like many people in that scenario would be like, 'What the fuck?' Right? And so that's kind of the feeling, and I love embodying that everyday person in this crazy circumstance."
"But he is essentially a theater kid," Mitchell explained. One who "gets the dream role" yet needs to remain "hidden and silent:"
"But he is essentially a theater kid. He's an actor; he wants to be a professional actor. And this is the biggest left turn that he's had in his life. He gets the dream role, or the dream part, the biggest production you could ask for, but he's hidden and silent, and no one's telling him what the fuck you're supposed to be. It's exhilarating and very confusing at the same time."
Did The Boys Make a Good Choice Avoiding Homelander Twist?
At this point, it’s hard to imagine The Boys having ever tried to pull off the big Homelander-Black Noir Twist.
There is a lot the original comics do that the show is better off never touching. So, the choice to go their own way with Black Noir is one of the better choices made by showrunner Eric Kripke.
Kripke did previously admit in an interview with Variety that he "was never really into the clone idea," and how the twist was not very satisfying to him.
That does put into question just how the show might choose to inevitably kill Homelander. Perhaps it all comes back to Soldier Boy, who works on a narrative level in a similar fashion to how Comics Noir did.
This would leave Black Noir to carve his own path. But can the character factor into the plot in any notable way going forward into the final season?
The Boys is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
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