The Boys Season 4 would be wise to make a major change to Homelander – because powering down Antony Starr’s character will strengthen the whole show.
For all the goodwill The Boys garners, the Prime Video series hasn’t shaken things up enough across its three seasons. While the stakes keep rising with every passing episode and the spinoff Gen V ties into Season 4, Billy Butcher and his crew are no closer to taking down Homelander and Vought Industries. Despite all the gory fight scenes and dropped bombshells, the plot feels like it’s beginning to drag — a bad sign for a series that prides itself on never playing things safe.
One major change to the show’s main villain, however, can get the series back in line. Homelander has appeared to be utterly unbeatable across three seasons, but by leveling the playing field between the non-superheroes and the show’s most powerful antagonist, the story can get a whole lot more interesting. If The Boys Season 4 makes the risky move of taking away Homelander’s superpowers, both the character and the show will evolve for the better.
Losing His Powers Gives Homelander’s Arc New Life
While being the strongest TV villain, Homelander does have one weakness: his overwhelming desire to be loved and adored by the public. Even after murdering a civilian in cold blood at the end of Season 3, he still had hundreds of supporters. If killing someone in broad daylight wasn’t enough to get non-superheroes to turn on him, losing the physical capabilities he’s spent years dazzling the public with would finally do the trick. Seeing what lengths he goes to in order to cover up his new lack of abilities would be an engaging and interesting story that The Boys hasn’t explored yet. It also gives actor Antony Starr a chance to add to his already nuanced, brilliant performance as the show’s Big Bad.
Homelander has been close to snapping throughout the entire series. In Season 2, he imagined using his laser vision to decimate an entire crowd when they started criticizing him after a viral video showed Homelander murdering a civilian in the crossfire of a battle. The character is just seconds away from giving into his twisted fantasies and burning rage. While he’s managed to get away with his heated monologue at his televised birthday party and multiple murders, lying to the entire world should finally be the nail in his coffin.
The Boys touched on superheroes losing their powers in Season 3 — but not in this fashion. Kimiko briefly lost hers, only to actively work to get them back in order to protect her friends. Queen Maeve retired to the countryside to live a peaceful, normal life with her girlfriend. Homelander isn’t like these women. He isn’t someone who can cope with that kind of deficit. Born and raised in a lab and then sent to live a life in the public eye, he has no idea how to lead an everyday life, nor does he want to. Should he lose his powers, Homelander’s lack of coping skills and flawed self-image will be on display to the entire world.
Taking Away Homelander’s Powers Can Bring Soldier Boy Back
Soldier Boy left a lasting impression when he arrived in the middle of The Boys Season 3. Much like Homelander, the character’s moral compass was completely broken. Whether he murdered families and innocent bystanders or abused his talents to harm his teammate Black Noir, Soldier Boy quickly established he was just as powerful and twisted as Homelander. But he possessed a unique ability: when Soldier Boy got overwhelmed and furious, he exploded into a glowing ball of pure radiation.
His outbursts resulted in anyone in his path losing their superpowers — which was what happened to Queen Maeve in the Season 3 finale. That means the show’s writers already have a canon way for Homelander to lose his powers organically. It’s also a seamless way to bring Soldier Boy back to The Boys. The character had less than an hour of screen time in Season 3, so there’s far more to explore with him in addition to utilizing him to further Homelander’s development.
Season 3 left audiences with the knowledge that Soldier Boy was Homelander’s father, which added a layer of intrigue and complexity to their hostile interactions. When Soldier Boy ultimately rejected Homelander and criticized his only child relentlessly, it was a massive blow to Homelander’s ego. But because of the frantic, frenzied final battle that transpired immediately afterward, The Boys hasn’t delved into the current state of their relationship. Season 4 can explore how Homelander copes with his father not only hating him, but being the one to take away the powers he values so highly. Especially after the twisted high he ended Season 3 on, it’s the perfect way to bring him down to Earth while giving Soldier Boy much more to do.
The Boys Can Still Give Homelander Crucial Powers
Removing Homelander’s superpowers will not neutralize his character. Homelander’s social and political power is just as dangerous as his laser vision and super strength. He has a large portion of the public on his side — many of whom are spreading false information and extreme, bigoted opinions on the Internet. Audiences see how manipulative and charming he can be every season. Even if his secret gets exposed, Homelander can find a way to spin it. He’ll still have a major part to play in Season 4, no matter how many superhuman abilities he has or does not have.
Homelander also continues to hold sway over Vought International, the mega-corporation that markets superheroes as selfless leaders with hearts of gold. With the corporation’s massive global reach, Homelander can still be a threat, even when he’s at his weakest physically. That pivot to a non-superpowered battle creates an interesting juxtaposition that will keep audiences on their toes. Seeing what Homelander does without superpowers will be the most interesting plot The Boys has ever done, and ensure that the series itself is not resting on its previous success.
Source: cbr.com