Spoiler Warning: The Boys Season 1-2
Fans of Prime Video’s The Boys know from the first two seasons of the show that villains, heroes, and justice does not exist as separate concepts in this world. At least, not in the way we are used to from shows and movies in the MCU or DCEU. And this point is reiterated with the brand new The Boys season 3 trailer. This extremely R-rated trailer shows things are going up a notch compared to the previous seasons, with new superpowers and bodies exploding.
However, there is one thing we couldn’t help but notice, and that is Homelander. Something has definitely changed, and he is completely unhinged in the new trailer. That said, given his storyline throughout the second season, this doesn’t come as a surprise to us whatsoever.
The last we saw Homelander, played by Antony Starr, was when he lost Stormfront, played by Aya Cash, his Nazi-lady love, in the season 2 finale. Not only did he lose his love, but he had to witness his own son Ryan, played by Cameron Crovetti, who charred most of Stormfront’s limbs to bits. Ryan displayed similar powers to his father’s for the first time after seeing Becca, played by Shantel VanSanten, his mother, being tortured by Stormfront.
But that wasn’t it. To make matters worse for Homelander, Queen Maeve, played by Dominique McElligot, blackmails him with the video she found of him being responsible for the death of the passengers in the plane incident that occurred in the first season. She ensures that he does not seek revenge for what happened to Stormfront and not continue tormenting the women in The Seven, including herself, her girlfriend, Elena, played by Nicola Correia-Damude, and Starlight, played by Erin Moriarty. Homelander doing all of this against his will with a smile on his face was made clear in the last episode of the previous season itself.
We have learned in the previous two seasons that Homelander is not a fan of losing control and does not respond to it well. For certain, we can say that Stormfront’s condition and possible death, his own blood betraying him, the blackmail, and the negative public opinion is something he hasn’t processed very well. We are all aware that Homelander is homicidal, but all these events have clearly unhinged this anti-hero further, which is apparent in the trailer.
Is Homelander Going Nuts: A Trailer Breakdown
In the latest trailer of The Boys season 3, we see a whole different, in this case, insane, side of Homelander. “I’m also just a man who fell in love with the wrong woman,” we see Homelander explaining this in the trailer repeatedly, cementing the fact that he is completely deranged this time. “And I am very excited for everyone to meet the real me,” he goes on to say directly to the camera on a red carpet, making things eerily creepy, when he attends an event in the show. Given his track record in seasons one and two, the “real” Homelander is the last thing anyone would want to be exposed to. In the trailer, we even see a concerned Starlight saying, “There is something wrong with Homelander. There’s something broken. He’s lost his f**cking mind.”
We have to admit, though, that we are extremely excited to see what Antony Starr brings forward to this role. He’s undoubtedly one of the best performers in the show, and no one does those crazy eyes better than him. Also, who can forget that goosebump-inducing scene where Homelander strangles Homelander (the Doppelganger in disguise)? We are more than happy to see Starr getting more screentime in the new season.
Homelander vs. Butcher
In the new trailer, we also get some insight into another new development that is bound to give Homelander an even harder time. We see his arch-nemesis, Billy Butcher, played by Karl Urban, being able to tap into supe powers that level the playing field temporarily. Butcher has become his most dangerous self. His superhuman strength and laser eyes indicate that he’s been taking Compound V just like it was stated in the comic book. He has made it amply clear that he does not care who comes in his way in his mission to take the supes down.
It is also hinted in the third season that as Butcher’s powers grow, he will start becoming more physically ill, and even his emotional connections will be at risk. With all of this, it’s clear that there isn’t much left to stop Butcher from becoming as desperately homicidal as his character in the comic books.
The first three episodes of The Boys season 3 will drop on Prime Video on June 3, 2022. After that, episodes will be released weekly until July 8, 2022.