Even before season 3 of “The Boys” aired, Eric Kripke said he was inspired by daily headlines about toxic masculinity, xenophobia and white supremacy in America. Under this reading, the show’s title positions it as a story about what happens when immature and emotionally stunted men hold power. Though still a child, Ryan is now in danger of becoming one of those men, taking over a population that is infantilized through superhero culture, and perhaps too ready to hand over power.
Say what you want about Homelander, but at least he’s shown that he’s capable of being a better father than Billy Butcher (Karl Urban). Butcher abandoned Ryan which left the boy searching for a new father figure, and it certainly helps Homelander’s case that he is Ryan’s biological father and is willing to offer him the unconditional love he himself never knew. Now that Ryan’s mother, Becca Butcher (Shantel VanSanten), is gone, Kripke suggested “The Boys” season 4 could become a story of two fathers, Billy and Homelander, fighting over their super-powered son, as a Avengers version of the Oscar. -Winning divorce drama “Kramer vs. Kramer:”
“Ryan is a really important part of the story because he’s half Becca, half Homelander. If Butcher can figure out how to fix his stuff and get the kid back, that might be the best weapon they have against Homelander. But vice versa. If Homelander wins the kid , that’s apocalyptic because then there are two Homelanders. It’s like a children’s drama with apocalyptic stakes. It’s like ‘Kramer vs. Kramer’ meets ‘Avengers: Endgame.’ So it’s going to be a really rich story going forward.”
Season 4 of “The Boys” doesn’t have a release date yet, but is expected to hit Prime Video later this year.
