Well, Sister Sage’s last move was a game-changer. Indeed, she had planned it all out, even though, for a fleeting moment, I thought Homelander’s dream of becoming a dictator was going to flop. But, as it turned out, Sage’s trump card saved Homelander’s house of cards. [Spoiler Alert] And the big guy has absolute control of the nation, and those who dared to question his authority will either find themselves turned to dust or locked in a concentration camp. However, the biggest reveal of The Boys season 4’s ending is that Homelander’s dad, the all-mighty Soldier Boy, was locked in a glass casket at the end of season 4. So what’s this short mid-credit scene trying to suggest? Well, let’s explore all the possible theories and what we can expect in Season 5.
Soldier Boy May Make A Return
If you have been following a lot of superhero IP, then you might be aware of the fact that sometimes mid-credits teases like these are just a way to make everyone talk about a show on their favorite social media sites. Now, I am not saying Soldier Boy won’t return for season 5, but what if Homelander decides not to wake up his father? He doesn’t share any fond memories with him, right? And the last time he met him, Soldier Boy just wanted to get rid of him, as he saw Homelander as a mere disappointment. I am sure Soldier Boy’s feelings and resentment for Homelander won’t change during his hibernation, and therefore, if Homelander dares to resurrect his daddy, then he would be doing nothing but inviting his own doom, which I guess Homelander is already aware of. So again, this mid-credit scene might just be a mere tease and won’t mean anything in the fifth season. Homelander may try to kill his father or get rid of him somehow for shaming Homelander and attacking his son, Ryan.
The second possibility is that Homelander might try to win Soldier Boy’s loyalty by reminding him that he was the one who rescued him from deep sleep. His actions might give him a chance to redeem himself in front of his father, and Soldier Boy might have a change of heart. Additionally, it would be a different world that he would wake up in. Homelander is the supreme leader of the world’s strongest country, and no one could be prouder of him than his father. And if it happens, then the father-son duo might join forces to attack their enemies and all those who raise their voices against their dictatorial regime.
The third possibility is that Soldier Boy, being true to his nature, refuses to share the command of the country with Homelander. In such a case, Soldier Boy might once again try to kill Homelander and throw him out of the picture so he could rule over the nation. If it happens, Homelander would have no other option but to seek help from The Boys to save him from Soldier Boy again. Or it could be the other way around. Soldier Boy might join forces with The Boys to save the nation from Homelander. However, their relationship had always been transactional, which implies that Soldier Boy might have an ulterior motive for helping humans. Maybe we’ll find out soon enough how the Soldier Boy revival plan will change the dynamics between the characters or affect the story.
Butcher And Supe-Killing Virus
I guess, at this point, it is quite evident that no one hates the supes more than Billy Butcher. It was the reason why Butcher became obsessed with the Supe-Killing Virus from the moment he heard that such a thing existed. However, Butcher had stepped down from his pursuit for a while as Sameer Shah warned him that it might kill all the supes in the world. But when Ryan killed Grace Mallory, Butcher got convinced that each and every supe would, sooner or later, turn into a monster. And the only hope for humanity is to release the virus even though it might lead to genocide.
In The Boys season 4’s ending, Butcher finally got his hands on a vial of the Supe-Killing Virus, and at this point, it seems likely that he would mass produce it to use it to defeat the supes. Also, we have to consider a few things here. Frenchie is quite confident in his formula, but it hasn’t been tested yet, so no one knows if it will work or not. Secondly, we don’t know how effective this supe-killing virus would be against Homelander. Is it strong enough to kill the likes of Homelander and Soldier Boy? If not, then Butcher might need another backup plan to fight against these supes. I know he has superpowers now, but would it be enough against Homelander? Thirdly, if all these things fail, Butcher will be back to zero. He’ll have to reunite The Boys and plan everything from scratch, as he might need Frenchie once again to create a powerful version of the said virus.
Also, at the end of season 4, we saw that Butcher ruthlessly killed Neuman in front of her daughter, Zoe, who, after her mother’s death, joined Red River Group Home. If I am correct, then it’s a kind of orphanage for the supe children. From here on, Zoe might want to take revenge for her mother’s death and seek help from Butcher’s enemies to bring him down. It is possible that The Boys team might have to deal with Zoe along with Homelander in the upcoming season.
Country on The Verge Of A Civil War
Homelander and Sage’s intricate plan to impose martial law in the country has literally disrupted the peace. People all over the states are most likely to protest such a declaration, and Homelander and his regime would have no other option but to lock these people up in so-called internment camps. But it’s not just about the human citizens of the country. Some idealistic and rational supes are going to revolt against Homelander too. I suppose Annie, who escaped at the end of season 4, might lead the resistance against Homelander. She has her powers back so she can help the members of The Boys team escape imprisonment. Additionally, we can expect the return of A-Train, who remained absent in the Boys finale.
The season finale also didn’t reveal Ashley’s fate, who injected Compound V into her body. It could be possible that she might use her superpowers to help the insurgents so that they could dethrone Homelander and get rid of him. Or she might just die. However, I have an interesting theory that might be viable. I still feel that Sage is going to betray Homelander and switch sides. She knows the kind of person Homelander is and, sooner or later, might come to an understanding that he isn’t fit to rule. In such a case, Sage herself might devise a coup to get rid of Homelander so that she could help restore peace and order in the country.
Ryan’s Fate
I still believe that the only person who can stop Butcher from committing genocide is Ryan. Butcher hasn’t forgotten the promise that he made to Becca. It could be possible that Butcher might have to sacrifice himself to save Ryan from Homelander or the virus, and it would be his only redemption. And as the finale of season 4 mentioned, Ryan might play an important role in Homelander’s death; he might have to kill his own father to save the world from his wrath. In season 5, Homelander wouldn’t be the one holding back his cruelty, and the entire world would finally see his true face. And that includes Ryan, too. The young lad would finally realize what Butcher was trying to warn him about, and that would change his mind about his father. If it happens, Ryan would prefer to be Butcher’s son instead of Homelander’s, and in order to protect his step father, he might kill the biological one.
Well, to be honest, there are a lot of theories to explore, but I guess I should leave the rest to the writers who are already working on the script for season 5. And in the meantime, if you have any theories that you would like to share with us, feel free to use the comment box below.
