The Boys star Claudia Doumit says comparisons between her character Victoria Neuman and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are both intentional and a coincidence.
Neuman was one of the most interesting additions to Season 2 of Amazon’s hit superhero series. Her character initially seemed like a virtuous politician set on holding superheroes accountable, but a major twist revealed she was the mysterious assassin responsible for exploding multiple heads.
Superpowers and murder aside, fans immediately picked up on similarities between Neuman and congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC). Both are young, charismatic women looking to shake up the status quo and fight injustice, and both have become media personalities on their journey.
The Boys certainly hasn’t shied away from satirical commentary about real-world events, such as terrorism and the #MeToo movement. So it’s not surprising that Neuman was somewhat inspired by real-life politician AOC, something actor Doumit has confirmed in an interview with ComicBook.
When asked whether AOC had an influence on her character, Doumit said: “I think on the surface, yes. I think it was more the idea of AOC, what she represents. She’s a young, progressive woman in politics and she’s got a voice that people are drawn to and she’s this young new message of politics.
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“I think that that’s more so what they wanted to present because I can’t say, ‘Yeah, she’s definitely AOC’, because especially what happens in the end. I don’t think AOC does that in her spare time. So, I think to a degree, yes, but then f**k no.”
Doumit also revealed that she was completely “in the dark” about the shocking Season 2 finale twist, which revealed that her character Neuman has superpowers and isn’t as clean-cut as we first thought.
“I got the script for the second to the last episode, episode six, and I read it and I was like, ‘Oh, she’s exploding heads. She’s a f***ing supe. Oh my God, yes.’ And I just lost my mind and I was so excited,” she said.
Season 3 of The Boys has been delayed due to the ongoing global health crisis, but there’s already plenty of teasing and speculation about what we can expect. You can get up to speed with everything we know here.