Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Boys season 4 finale!
Summary
The Boys’big Homelander clone twist is one of the most well-known story beats from the original comics, and the ending ofThe Boysseason 4is probably the closest that we’ll get to seeing this twist realized. Although Amazon Prime Video’sThe Boyshas made many changes to the original comic series, many of the important elements have been loosely adapted, with them being updated to fit the show’s style and political commentary.The Homelander clone twist isThe Boys' biggest missing elementsfrom the comics, but we might have just seen the show’s spin on it.
Homelander has been the main villain throughoutThe Boys’four seasons, withThe Boysseason 4 building up to his famous supe insurrection from the comics. However, the show has yet to adapt a major Homelander twist from the comics, in which it is revealed thatBlack Noir is an even more evil clone of Homelander, with this version of the character becoming a primary antagonist after the reveal. It is doubtful that this storyline will ever be adapted in Amazon Prime Video’sThe Boys, but a twist on it may have just been featured in the season 4 finale.
The Boys Season 4: Why Ashley Stays At Vought After The Mole Was Revealed In Ep 7 Ending Explained By Director
Exclusive: Director Catriona McKenzie explains why Ashley decides to stay at Vought after the mole reveal at the end of The Boys season 4, episode 7.
Starlight Vs. Starlight Is Probably The Closest We’ll Get To Homelander’s Clone
At Least It Was A Cool Fight
AlthoughThe Boysseason 4 didn’t show off a clone of Homelander, it showed off a similar clone of Starlight.The Boysseason 4, episode 7 ended with a massive twist, revealing thatSister Sage sent a shapeshifting supe to take Starlight’s formand infiltrate The Boys' operation. As it turns out,the real Starlight is actually being held in a secluded building somewhere, with the season 4 finale featuring a scene in which the fake Starlight returns to where the real one is being held in order to mock her while she’s down.
However, this shapeshifter storyline is paid off when the real Starlight manages to break out and find the fake Starlight in President Singer’s underground bunker. While The Boys make off with the President,the real Starlight stays behind to fight the fake one. The brawl between the two Starlights is a fun scene, but since there have been no hints at Homelander’s Black Noir clone appearing in Amazon’sThe Boys, it seems that Starlight vs. Starlight is the closest we’ll get to the comics' supe clone battle.
The Boys Season 4 Soundtrack Guide: Every Song And When They Play
Apart from walking through supe satire, action, and drama, Amazon’s The Boys season 4 also features some memorable songs in some of its best scenes.
Why Eric Kripke Has Ruled Out The Boys' Homelander Clone Comic Storyline
It Would Seriously Hurt The Boys' Villain
As it turns out, showrunnerEric Kripke has already saidThe BoysHomelander twist won’t happenin the show. Kripke confirmed thathe has no interest in adapting the Homelander clone storyline in any form, for two big reasons.Firstly, Kripke doesn’t like the idea of setting the real Homelander up as the main villain throughout the show, only to pull the rug out from under the audience to reveal that the real villain is a different character. Kripke doesn’t believe this twist would be satisfying, leading to him taking another path forThe Boys.
Secondly,Kripke believes that cloning is too “silly” for the world ofThe Boys. According to the showrunner,The Boyswants to stay grounded in reality, with the supes being the one element that requires the audience to suspend their disbelief. Having supes is fine, but having non-supes invent cloning could be too much of a stretch. Although some may disagree that cloning is more unrealistic than a serum that gives people superpowers, Kripke wants to stick to this rule and not use the Homelander clone storyline. Here are his full thoughts on the matter:
No, and I don’t mind saying it. In the comics he’s a clone of Homelander this entire time and is actually the one doing all these horrific things. And again, it’s a hell of a twist. But it’s like, well wait, the villain I’ve been following isn’t really the villain. And mileage varies, and I’m sure fans are mad I’m not going that way, but that felt not as satisfying to me. I’m like, if I’m going to follow this villain, I want this guy to be the villain. So I was never really into the clone idea.
Plus, cloning feels like too — I’m going to sound silly — but cloning feels too magical for the show. We attempt to say that superheroes are the only slippery banana, and that everything else we try to make as grounded as possible.
A Chilling The Boys Season 4 Scene Just Confirmed Ryan As Homelander’s Replacement
A bone-chilling scene from The Boys season 4’s episode 7 has finally confirmed that Ryan is not too far from becoming Homelander’s true replacement.
The Boys Not Adaptating The Homelander Clone Story Makes Sense
Kripke Is Right About It
Although not adapting the Homelander clone storyline at the end ofThe Boysmay upset some fans of the source material, it actually makes sense. Kripke’s point about replacing Homelander at the last second with a different Homelander is valid, as it has already been proven that audiences have a problem with this in previous TV shows and movies that have tried the bait-and-switch tactic with well-established characters. Luckily,The Boysis dodging this bullet.
On top of that, with only one season ofThe Boysleft,fitting in the development of this clone storyline would make the show way too packed.Season 5 will already have to wrap up every character’s storyline while also featuring Homelander’s fascist rule of the United States andBilly Butcher’s supe virus inThe Boys. Amazon couldn’t use Black Noir for the twist as the character has already been replaced, meaning that adapting Homelander’s clone twist inThe Boyswould be more trouble than it’s worth.
The Boys
Cast
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.
