In the world of marketing, timing is everything. And when it comes to riding the wave of current events, the creators behind The Boys are surfing like champions.
The Boys, for the uninitiated, is Amazon Prime Video‘s darkly comedic, brutally honest take on the superhero genre. Unlike its more family-friendly counterparts, this series dives deep into the murkier waters of power and how absolutely it can corrupt. Superheroes (or “Supes,” as they’re not-so-affectionately called) are not the saviors here; they’re the product — and often the perpetrators — of corporate greed and political manipulation. It’s satire with a capital S, and viewers eat it up because it feels unsettlingly close to reality.
At the end of Season 3 of The Boys, Homelander kills a protester publicly and without remorse. This act is broadcast live, showing him basking in the cheers of his supporters immediately after the “fifth avenue” moment (whoops, did I say that out loud? Never mind). As we gear up for season 4, The Boys creators are clearly leaving no stone unturned—or unthrown, considering their latest jab at none other than former U.S. President Donald Trump. Following Trump’s real-life felony convictions, the show’s Vought International Twitter account dropped a cheeky post showing Homelander in court.
Trump’s hush money scandal stems from payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign to silence allegations of extramarital affairs that could have potentially damaged his election prospects. The drama surrounding his trial — where he was found guilty on all 34 counts — has been nothing short of cinematic.
Something The Boys would nod to in its impressively own twisted way.
The central figure in this scandal, aside from Trump himself, is Michael Cohen, Trump’s former personal lawyer and fixer. Cohen admitted to arranging payments totaling $280,000 to two women— adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal — who alleged they had affairs with Trump years before his political career. Cohen used his own funds for the payment to Daniels and coordinated a payment through the parent company of the National Enquirer tabloid to suppress McDougal’s story, a technique known as “catch and kill.”
Fast forward to 2024, after a lengthy legal battle and investigation, Trump was found guilty in New York. Legally, he faces potential prison time, which is unprecedented for a former U.S. president. Politically, the conviction arrived at a critical juncture, mere months before the 2024 presidential elections.
Homelander, in this case, is a clear mascot for the old warning: Even a taste of power can inflate you into a narcissistic, man-child tyrant. This season of The Boys promises to push boundaries even further, with Homelander unchained and more terrifying than ever. His no-holds-barred approach to reshaping The Seven suggests a dark turn towards outright fascism. It’s bold and it’s uncomfortably close to the bone.
This is not the first time The Boys’ creators have seized a perfect moment for a clever promotion. Back in February, when Donald Trump, in a desperate attempt to raise funds for his mounting legal troubles, introduced a line of overpriced sneakers ($399!), the official Twitter account of Vought International created its own satirical response. The fictional corporation advertised “Homelander High-Tops” for $777, claiming all profits would go towards funding Homelander’s “sham of a trial.”
Following their February stunt, the creators took another timely swing in March with a promotional poster for Season 4. The poster carried the slogan “Make America Super Again” – sound familiar? It should. Accompanying this image was the caption “Wanker-in-chief,” which is a clear dig at the bad spray tan former President. The poster also hinted at the upcoming season’s plot which will explore the results of the presidential election in the show.
As showrunner Eric Kripke has made abundantly clear, the parallels between Homelander and a certain former president are anything but coincidental.
“Homelander has always been a Trump analogy for me. It’s white-male victimization and unchecked ambition. And those issues just happened to reflect the guy who, it’s just still surreal to say it, was f-cking President of the United States. And it’s a bigger issue than just Trump. The more awful public figures act, the more fans they seem to be getting. That’s a phenomenon that we wanted to explore, that Homelander is realizing that he can actually show them who he really is and they’ll love him for it.”
Eric Kripke (via Rolling Stone)
At the same time, The Boys is not a one-dimensional political screed. As Homelander actor Antony Starr had pointed out, the show’s creators are careful not to make the parallels too direct, lest the character become a mere caricature.
The Boys are returning to Prime Video with Season 4 on June 13, 2024.