The Boys Season 5 gives Homelander a fitting send-off, but its biggest promise about the supe appears to have been a lie. After five seasons of The Boys, Homelander’s story is finally over — though Antony Starr’s villain reaches new levels of instability before he takes his final bow. SPOILERS ahead for The Boys Season 5, Episodes 1-8. Following Homelander’s government takeover at the end of The Boys Season 4, he goes on to exert horrifying levels of control over the non-supes in the U.S. Things get wilder when he declares himself God, going to great lengths to force this belief on his supporters.
Despite Homelander’s increasingly unstable behavior, The Boys‘ ending doesn’t go quite as far with the villain as many expected. He obtains V1 in Episode 6, making him immune to Butcher’s supe virus, and seemingly taking his powers to greater heights. Unfortunately, the fallout of that isn’t as devastating as you’d expect. He barely gets the chance to utilize those enhanced abilities before Kimiko de-powers him. And while Homelander’s demise is immensely satisfying, it happening before he can do much damage raises questions about one Season 5 promise that isn’t fulfilled.
Antony Starr Teased The Worst Thing Homelander Has Done in The Boys Season 5
Image via Prime Video
With Homelander taking control of the government at the end of Season 4, many fans anticipated major horrors in the fifth and final outing. Antony Starr’s comments during his appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show supported this, as he teased that “the worst thing” Homelander has done “is yet to come.” Considering that Homelander takes down a plane full of innocent people, kills a protestor in broad daylight, and creates “freedom camps,” that’s a high bar to clear. And after The Boys Season 5 finale, it’s hard to say what Starr was referring to, as no one thing stands out among Homelander’s greatest crimes.
One of the posters for The Boys‘ final season (via X) shows Homelander looking down at a scorched Earth, further fueling the notion that he’d cause destruction on a mass scale. Many fans believed he’d wipe out an entire city or nation, which would certainly be a devastating show of power. That doesn’t happen, leaving us to wonder about Starr’s words. Homelander continues to be terrifying in Season 5, but the latest chapter doesn’t feature anything too unexpected from the supe.
The Boys Season 5 Doesn’t Feature Anything Too Out of Character for the Supe
Homelander does plenty of evil things in The Boys Season 5, but none of them feel extraordinary or unexpected for his character. Declaring himself as God is a bit much, as is attempting to wipe out nonbelievers. However, he doesn’t do the latter himself, nor does that plan actually succeed. And given Homelander’s narcissism, it’s not a total stretch that he’d try to install himself as a deity. He’s clearly capable of deluding himself, and he no longer has anyone around to challenge him.
Apart from trying to become God, Homelander physically assaults Ryan, kills President Steven Calhoun, and murders former teammates like A-Train and Firecracker. It’s all despicable, but none of it stands out as out of character. The end of The Boys Season 2 makes it seem like he’s going to hurt Ryan, so that was always a possible outcome of Homelander’s rage. Frankly, it’s surprising that Steven Calhoun lasts as long as he does in Season 5. And we know Homelander isn’t shy about killing members of The Seven, so that doesn’t feel like an escalation, especially one on par with Starr’s comments.
Which of Homelander’s Actions Antony Starr Might’ve Been Alluding To
Image via Prime Video
Given how in-character Homelander is throughout Season 5, even as his mental state is deteriorating, we’re left to guess about what Starr was alluding to. It’s possible that he’s referring to Homelander hurting Ryan, as he tends to hold back with his son and Soldier Boy, the result of his twisted “love” for them. It’s certainly difficult to watch him nearly kill Ryan at the end of The Boys Season 5, Episode 3, and it could’ve been hard for the actor to stomach as well.
Starr may also be referring to Homelander’s mission to make himself God, which isn’t the worst thing he’s done in terms of hurting others — but it’s definitely the most outlandish choice he makes. It’s probably the most indicative of how unwell he is as well. There’s also Homelander’s televised speech in The Boys‘ series finale to consider. He fully goes off the rails there, threatening to kill everyone who doesn’t fall in line. He may not go through with it, but it still marks a dark turn for his character. And let’s face it, he likely would’ve made good on his threats if Butcher hadn’t put an end to him first.
What do you think of Antony Starr’s Homelander tease? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
