The Boys is a unique take on superheroes exploring a world where the superheroes or “Supes” are treated as celebrities and corporate commodities. The Supes are used by Vought as public figures to star in movies, sell products, and “save the day” often in staged crises. In The Boys, the Supes are not the true heroes of the series. Instead, they are a warped take on the famous genre that has overtaken pop culture.
The Boys famously takes shots at other comics and superheroes. Many of the heroes are dark parodies of their DC or Marvel counterparts with The Deep and A-Train clearly being more depraved and twisted versions of Aquaman and The Flash. Marvel isn’t immune to these dark takes with Eagle, who was introduced in the second season of The Boys, a clear Hawkeye parody. But the most obvious horrific take on a famed superhero is probably Homelander the truly twisted version of Superman.
There has long been a debate between fans of The Boys and fans of the classic DC heroes about who would win in a fight, Homelander or Superman? Beyond the parody of his public image, a symbol of American heroism and hope, Homelander also has powers akin to the Man of Steel making the comparison between the two even more intriguing. The popularity of The Boys has grown since the series adaptation premiered on Amazon Prime in 2019 the debate has only grown.
RELATED: THE BOYS ADDS FRANCES TURNER, KRISTIN BOOTH, AND JACK DOOLAN FOR RECURRING ROLES IN SEASON 3
In an attempt to hear one side of the argument from an expert The Illuminerdi wanted to ask Eric Kripke, The Boys showrunner, himself. The Illuminerdi had the chance to do just that when we caught up with Kripke at the 2021 Saturn Awards where we asked him for a definitive answer in the Homelander vs. Superman debate. Kripke was quick to throw his support behind The Boys star Supe declaring Homelander would win without question.
THE BOYS SHOWRUNNER ERIK KRIPKE WEIGHS IN ON THE HOMELANDER VS. SUPERMAN DEBATE
“I mean it’s definitely Homelander because Superman has morals and Homelander is like a hardcore sociopath. So, it’s like Homelander has no problem ripping off Superman’s testicles, like zero. And Superman’s gonna be like punching above the belt. So, it’s kind of not a contest”
RELATED: THE BOYS UNTITLED SPIN-OFF: 4 EXCITING NEW CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS AND PRODUCTION DETAILS: EXCLUSIVE
Superman is famous for his morals and honor while Homelander is infamous for his sociopathic tendencies. Homelander continuously makes selfish and horrifying decisions including leaving a plane full of innocent people to die and raping Becca Butcher, the wife of Billy Butcher. Eric Kripke’s argument that Homelander would win based on his lack of morals is an interesting take.
The belief that Homelander’s willingness to hit below the belt, quite literally if The Boys showrunner’s comment is anything to go by, makes a certain amount of sense. If the two super-powered individuals begin on even footing, a willingness to fight dirty would definitely give one character the upper hand. Superman vs. Homelander would be a thrilling fight to watch especially given their similarity in powers yet completely opposite personalities and mentalities. Superman clearly has more experience as an actual superhero defeating actual global threats. But taking Erik Kripke’s opinion into account Homelander definitely seems like a real danger to the Man of Steel.
The first two seasons of The Boys are available now on Amazon Prime Video. Who do you think would win in a fight between Homelander and Superman? Who else do you want to hear chime in on the Homelander vs. Superman debate? Does Homelander have a Kryptonite? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or on our social media and check back with The Illuminerdi for more Amazon Prime Video content and The Boys.
