In the end, Herman still yielded to the demands of capital... Not because Professor Charles personally called to threaten him with withdrawal of funds if he didn't assign roles.
But simply because Herman couldn't recruit any other actors. His Bronze-tier [Fallen Director] identity was too much of a curse. Who knew what kind of rumors and boogeymen had spread through Hollywood? At this point, not a single competent actor was willing to show up for his auditions.
If he wanted the series to get made, he had no choice but to compromise and cast these mutant students.
Fortunately, while the young mutants weren't as polished as the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, their grasp of the roles ran surprisingly deep.
Herman figured Professor Charles must have screened them in advance... The way these students connected with their parts was so genuine, it felt like the roles were made for them.
"This character, The Deep—I really get his emotions. Talking to animals is so much easier than talking to people."
No need to guess.
This earnest-looking kid's mutant ability was clearly animal communication. The way he spoke—confident, detailed, rattling off the personalities of different creatures as if he'd studied them for decades—Herman found it hard to believe he hadn't been practicing for at least ten or twenty years.
"Ahem."
Shadowcat Kitty cleared her throat, like a warning for her classmate not to overshare. She thought talking on and on for ten minutes was far too reckless.
And it wasn't just him.
Another mutant—plain-looking, almost forgettable—finally spoke up in his quiet, measured way.
"The Invisible Man's character design... I think it's the one that really fits reality."
The moment those words left his mouth, the surrounding mutants froze, glancing at him with suspicion and unease.
"You..."
Even the cautious Shadowcat Kitty couldn't hold back anymore.
Herman realized right then.
This quiet boy probably really could turn invisible. Otherwise, his comment wouldn't have drawn such nervous stares from his peers.
"You! You'll play the Invisible Man!" Herman decided on the spot. The kid was a perfect fit—straight-up typecasting.
Soon enough, all the mutant students' roles were set. Herman grew more certain than ever that Charles had personally filtered this batch of applicants.
Otherwise, how could every single one of them land a role that matched their powers so perfectly?
Well, matched their abilities, at least—not necessarily their personalities.
Thanks to Charles's guidance, the students were all good-natured, well-adjusted kids. Which was exactly why Herman couldn't find anyone suitable to play Homelander.
"No. That smile isn't twisted enough. You need the kind of grin that makes people's skin crawl." Herman critiqued a student whose powers seemed to be some form of physical enhancement. But no matter how many times he explained, the boy just couldn't channel that sick, predatory vibe.
Homelander was the core role.
There was no room for mistakes.
"Like this."
With no other option, Herman stepped in and demonstrated. He bared his teeth in a grin, but his eyes carried such cold menace that everyone present felt a shiver down their spine.
"Director... why don't you just play this role yourself?" The enhanced mutant, still unable to deliver the performance, finally made the timid suggestion.
The other students, equally rattled by Herman's demonstration, nodded their agreement.
"A righteous man like me can't play a psychopath."
Herman refused without hesitation.
But the mutant students—and even Skye—were convinced he was simply being far too modest.
"I think, Director, if you just toned it down a little, you'd already be Homelander," Skye muttered under her breath while clutching the script.
Herman shot her a sharp glare.
She immediately shrank back.
The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became—Herman was Homelander. And she wasn't the only one. The mutant students were all secretly wondering if the director had written the role based on his own personality. The more they thought about it, the more terrifying it felt.
The show hadn't even started filming yet, but plenty of mutants were already giving Herman strange looks. Was this what they called "getting into character" ahead of time?
"Director, what about me? What role do I get?"
Shadowcat Kitty, seeing that most of the roles had already been decided, couldn't hold back anymore. She wasn't about to come all this way just to be a background extra.
Their teachers almost never let them out of the academy. If she wanted more time outside, landing a role in this series was her best shot. That was the real reason so many mutants agreed to audition.
Otherwise...
Who would want to act in a dark show that smeared superheroes? Certainly not most mutants.
"You?"
Herman already had a plan. "I've decided you'll play the male lead! No—because you fit the role so well, I'll rewrite the character as a female lead instead."
Everyone froze.
Kitty's eyes went wide with shock. "Director, you want me to play Homelander? No way! Absolutely not!"
Just imagining Homelander's scenes made her shiver. And gender-swapping the role didn't make it any less disturbing. A milk-obsessed woman might actually be even creepier.
"Not Homelander. I mean Hughie. He starts out as just an ordinary person, but after his girlfriend is killed by the speedster A-Train, he sets out on a path of revenge against superheroes... Actually, making it a dead boyfriend instead of a girlfriend would work too."
"No, keep it as the girlfriend. You playing a woman who likes women will draw in plenty of fans who love that kind of storyline."
Herman felt like a genius.
The lead role of Hughie wasn't just a natural fit for Kitty—turning the character into a woman made it perfectly tailored to today's diverse market.
"Uh..."
Kitty wanted to protest, but compared to Homelander, this was far easier to swallow. Playing an ordinary person didn't seem so bad.
"It's settled then! I'll look around for the right actor to play Homelander, and in a few days, we'll start shooting!"
Herman finalized the decision with satisfaction.
The mutant students, who had only come because of their "mission," naturally had no objections.
And with that—
After sending off both the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and the mutant kids, Herman had nearly filled the entire cast of The Boys.
...
For more chapters, feel free to follow me on P@treon.
(50 Chapters Ahead)
[email protected]/PinkSnake