WARNING: This article includes SPOILERS from The Boys season 4, episodes 1-3.
Summary
Series creator Eric Kripke hints at a dark path ahead for Homelander’s son Ryan inThe Boysseason 4. Picking up fromThe Boysseason 3 finalethat saw Antony Starr’s megalomaniacal Supe introduce his son to the world, season 4 now sees the duo take up residence together in Vought Tower. After years of having his parentage kept a secret from him, Homelander is intent on delivering the supposed benefits of his wisdom and warped worldview onto his young heir.
Speaking withVarietyin celebration ofThe Boys’ season 4 premiere, Kripke has explained the decision to focus in on Homelander and Ryan’s domestic life and what lies ahead for the young Supe. Suggesting that the show’s creative team really wanted to see what Homelander would be like as a parental figure,the underlying threat is that Ryan will begin to absorb his father’s lessonsand potentially follow in his footsteps. Check out his comments below:
We’ve never really seen Ryan and Homelander together, alone for extended periods. And we wanted to see what Homelander would be like as a father — and obviously the answer is horrible. He’s a terrible, terrible father. And the ongoing threat is that Ryan might start listening to his dad and veering into the dark side and listening to these horrible lessons that Homelander is always giving him and potentially seducing him with power. And if Ryan goes that way, that’s apocalyptic. Two Homelanders is something you just cannot beat. So it was living in the tension of, is Ryan gonna break bad?
Will Ryan Be The Real Key To Defeating Homelander?
Homelander’s Son Could Potentially Deliver Butcher His Final Victory
While further testing and development of the Supe virus could potentially deliver Butcher the edge he is looking for in his ongoing crusade, Ryan may very well end up being the one real weapon capable of besting his father.
Over the course of the past three seasons, Karl Urban’s Billy Butcher and his rag-tag group of vigilantes have repeatedly struggled to find a way to defeat Homelander once and for all. While Butcher came close in the season 3 finale by seeking the assistance of Homelander’s own father, Soldier Boy, he would latersacrifice that opportunity in order to spare Ryan’s lifeinstead. However, that decision may still serve to work in Butcher’s favor and deliver him the one real means of besting Vought’s premiere Supe.
Even though the Supe killing virus introduced by2023’s spinoff showGen Vis now in Victoria Neuman’s possession,The Boysseason 4 episode 1 explained that the biological weapon was stilltoo weak to pose a threat to Homelanderhimself. While further testing and development of the Supe virus could potentially deliver Butcher the edge he is looking for in his ongoing crusade, Ryan may very well end up being the one real weapon capable of besting his father.
Moreover, with Kripke recently confirming thatThe Boysseason 5will serve to wrap up Prime Video’s hit show, that final showdown could likely be just around the proverbial corner. With Kripke hinting that the show’s future will hinge on an internal battle for Ryan’s mind and allegiance, slowly transforming him into a Supe with identical, or even superior powers to Homelander, could ensure the show delivers a memorable and fitting conclusion.
The Boys
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The Boys is a gritty and subversive take on the superhero genre, focusing on a group of vigilantes who confront powerful superheroes abusing their abilities, exploring themes of corruption and moral ambiguity in a world where heroes are not always what they seem.
