Amazon's The Boys Casts Jessica Jones Alum Erin Moriarty As Starlight

The Boys has just announced its first casting update with Erin Moriarty tapped to play the role of Starlight. The Jessica Jones alum is bound to join Supernatural creator Eric Kripke’s take on Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s comic book series first released in 2006. As like its source material, which sees the superhero narrative through a different lens, the show is expected to delve into the lives of a group of vigilantes dubbed unofficially “The Boys,” who vow to take down corrupt superheroes masking themselves as the good guys.


The project, which was made official early this year with the move from Cinemax to Amazon , has been relatively quiet with regard to significant updates. And given the back and forth when it comes to adapting The Boys on screen, many were wondering if it was just outright canceled without any announcement. However, things picked up last month when Amazon finally ordered 8 episodes of the series , and Moriarty’s casting is further indication the show is progressing nicely towards its release.



An article from Deadline reveals that Moriarty has been tapped to play Starlight in Amazon’s drama. In the pages of the comics, the character, also known as Annie January, is a young woman who has the ability to fly, project blinding light and super-hearing. Originally, she had the tendency to become a bit unhinged with aggressive outbursts coupled with her alcohol dependency. It will be interesting how her complex character will be played out on the small screen adaptation.


The Boys has been in development for quite some time now, almost after the comics debuted — a proof of the potential that the IP has. Initially, it was intended to be a film adaptation until it was relegated to being a TV series on Cinemax due last year. Obviously, that did not come to fruition. With notable names like Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg attached to direct, (the same team behind AMC’s hit show, Preacher), Amazon eventually picked it up.


Running for 72 issues from 2006 to 2012, The Boys comics came out as some sort of a balancing narrative in the comic book sphere at a time where almost all superheroes are deemed the good guys. With the abundance of superhero-centric movies and TV shows currently populating Hollywood, it will be interesting how the Amazon series will be received. If anything, it’s a great way to tap into the popular media content without retreading the usual tropes that we have already seen in other properties within the genre.

No official release date for The Boys yet but it is expected to roll out in early 2019.