Erin Moriarty & Colby Minifie Were In A Marvel TV Series Together Before The Boys

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The show may be called "The Boys," but it proves time and time again that girls do get it done. Eric Kripke's superhero satire, adapted from Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson's even more controversial comic series, has a feminist bent and a recurring theme of its female characters asserting agency. Starlight/Annie January (Erin Moriarty) is the greatest example, with her literally becoming a progressive icon and thoughtful leader in-universe.

As part of the series' critique of corporate America, though, it does not celebrate rainbow capitalism (i.e. putting individuals from marginalized groups at the top of institutions doing the marginalizing). Girlboss characters are never celebrated on "The Boys," from soulless exec Madelyn Stillwell (Elisabeth Shue), to serpentine politician Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit), to Ashley Barrett (Colby Minifie) — a PR flack in way over her head as Homelander's (Antony Starr) lackey.

Minifie's performance as Ashley is especially impressive, turning a background character in season 1 into the show's best. Minifie makes her funny, loathsome, pathetic, and endearing all at once. Ashley is not a good person, but even as nominal CEO of Vought, she spends every moment walking on her tiptoes, afraid of setting Homelander's laser eyes off. At the same time, she relishes lording power over the people she can get away with bullying. Ashley has no counterpart in the "Boys" comics, but it's hard to imagine the show without her.

"The Boys" is not Moriarty and Minifie's first TV show together, though — it fact, it's not even their first superhero show, with the pair having previously played roles in Marvel/Netflix's "Jessica Jones."

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"Jessica Jones" follows the eponymous super-strong PI (Krysten Ritter, who still hopes to reprise the role). Years ago, she fell under the mind control of Kilgrave (David Tennant), a purple-dressed man whose voice compels others to obey him. Kilgrave enslaved Jessica as a source for sex and comfort for an extended time, convinced she was in love with him because she never said "No." Jessica eventually escaped Kilgrave when he was hit by a bus, but he returns.

Kilgrave re-enters Jessica's life by abducting NYU Student Hope Shlottman (Moriarty). Jessica is then hired to find Shlottman by the girl's parents — but after she does, Hope shoots her parents thanks to a subliminal command from Kilgrave. Hope spends the rest of the season imprisoned and awaiting trial, with Jessica trying to catch Kilgrave to get Hope exonerated.

"Jessica Jones" is a superhero show made when the #MeToo movement was on the verge of erupting, while "The Boys" was made in its immediate aftermath. Starlight, like Hope, deals with being an assault survivor at the hands of the Deep (Chace Crawford), who like Kilgrave does with his victims, maintains moral pretensions because he didn't violently force himself on Starlight. Annie's story goes much better than Hope's though; after she publicly reveals the Deep's actions, Vought International scuttles him and brands Starlight as its new feminist superheroine (complete with Katy Perry's "Roar" as her theme, or rather fight, song) to make itself look good.

Minifie, meanwhile, played another comic relief character on "Jessica Jones," but one much less liked than Ashley. Her character Robyn is Jessica's upstairs neighbor with her twin brother Ruben (Kieran Mulcare). Robyn treats Ruben with a controlling, possibly incestuous, attitude and instantly dislikes Jessica because Ruben is smitten with her. Sadly, Ruben is murdered by Kilgrave, while Robyn disappears after season 1. Thankfully, "The Boys" gave Minifie a second chance to play a hilarious yet hatable character.