The Boys Is Building Up To Homelander’s Worst Ending (Which Is Perfect)

Anthony Starr’s Homelander may be the most powerful superhero in The Boys, but the introduction of Jensen Ackles’ Soldier Boy in season 3 hints that the leader of the Seven may meet a fate worse than death. In the gritty world of The Boys, Homelander is a clear parody of Superman: an all-American hero with god-like abilities on the outside, but a murderous narcissist responsible for the deaths of hundreds. As Amazon Prime’s The Boys has moved away from its comic book source material, anything could happen, and the show is hinting at a very different, more poetic ending for Homelander.

Homelander uses his abilities to intimidate and demean everybody around him, most prominently A-Train, The Deep, and Vought CEO Ashley Barrett. Season 3 sees the Boys’ Hughie Campbell and Billy Butcher use a new strain of Compound V to give themselves superpowers in an attempt to kill the seemingly un-killable supe. Much to the dismay of Mother’s Milk, Frenchie, Kimiko, and Starlight they also team up with Soldier Boy, a supe from the past who had been kidnaped and experimented on by the Russian government. The final episode concludes with a fight that shows that Soldier Boy not only has the power to kill powerful foes, but take their powers, as he does to Queen Maeve.

Soldier Boy having power-sapping abilities sets up Homelander’s worst nightmare: losing his powers and becoming just like everyone else. While Jensen Ackles has not been confirmed to appear in The Boys season 4, the final shot showing Soldier Boy alive after his fight with Homelander, Billy Butcher, Queen Maeve, and Starlight strongly hints that the show is not done with him yet. While he served a purpose in season 3 due to his history with the Boys’ Mother’s Milk and his rejection of his son, Homelander, Soldier Boy may well return and be used to strip the show’s primary villain of his Superman-like powers.

Homelander’s World Would Be Nothing Without Vought’s Superpowers

Everything Homelander defines himself as is connected to his superpowers and the fear they instill in the people around him. Without his powers, Homelander would be unable to stand up to the likes of A-Train, Black Noir, and the Deep let alone a super-powered Billy Butcher. The lack of power over other people that losing his abilities would subject Homelander to would be arguably worse than dying for Homelander, the leader of Vought’s the Seven, as everything he does hinges on his ability to intimidate people with his laser vision and super strength. Losing his powers would therefore be a more poetic and satisfying punishment than simply having Butcher, Soldier Boy, or Starlight kill him.

If Homelander was left alive after having his powers stripped by Soldier Boy, the dynamics between him and the Vought heroes as well as the Boys could be very compelling. Formerly bullied supes like the Deep and A-Train would undoubtedly take revenge on Homelander, and he would be (literally) powerless to stop them. As a regular human, Homelander (who may well revert to his original name of John) would also have to contend with other regular humans with a bone to pick with him, including Ashley, Queen Maeve, and Billy Butcher. His dynamic with his son Ryan would also change as he has been teaching him to feel superior due to his similar powers, so it would be interesting to see this relationship evolve. The Boys may well eventually kill Homelander, but having Soldier Boy take his powers opens up exciting story possibilities and is a significantly more poetic punishment.

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