Three characters from The Boys were male in the comics. The decision to gender-swap them has added value to the show, especially for Homelander.

It could surprise some people who are just following The Boys TV series that three of the most well-known female characters were once male comic book characters. Homelander, the show’s most dramatic subplot, was affected by these changes to The Boys’ cast. Homelander was raised as an artificial supe and never had a real parent; this is a crucial aspect of his personality. The beginnings of Homelander are both horrifying and illuminating. Homelander’s interactions with women reflect the anguish of growing up as nothing more than an experiment under the care of scientists.

Homelander features significant sequences with women that may not have happened if the program had created every character precisely as they were in the comics. The fourth season of The Boys will undoubtedly go more into this idea. For instance, Madelyn Stillwell and Homelander’s relationship is short-lived as a result of Homelander’s own acts, but up to Stillwell’s horrific and premature death, Homelander treats Stillwell like a sexualized stand-in for the mother he never had. The type of backstory Madelyn provides for Homelander is something the original Stillwell from the comics could never have provided.

The Boys TV Show Gender-Swaps 3 Characters From The Comics

The showrunners attempt to address a representation issue

It was intended to bring a few recently turned ladies to The Boys. The writers of the program were aware of the history of “fridging” women in The Boys comics, so they made an effort to steer clear of the same clichés and complaints. Madelyn Stillwell, Victoria Neumann, and Stormfront are all female characters based from male comic book characters, and as such, they have a unique connection to Homelander that their male counterparts did not share. The greatest contribution these individuals have made to the story is really the impact they have on Homelander as shown on the program. Even while the characters themselves have a lot of potential, their canonical narratives are frequently weak.

These characters don’t have much to contribute outside of their interactions with males, which is an unfortunate byproduct of include women for the sake of gender diversity rather than because they are valuable on their own. Even while these partnerships aren’t necessarily passionate or sensual, they are typically the most captivating aspect of a female character that has been chemically altered. It usually takes a lot of work for the authors to fully develop a character who was previously shallow if they are given the chance to shine apart from the male character to whom they have previously been tied.

Changing These Characters’ Genders Makes Homelander’s Character Arc Even Better

The treatment of women in The Boys isn’t great, but there’s a reason for that

Vought Industries’ diversity issues are a subject of criticism in the show, but in real life, The Boys makes a point of including women in important roles. The Boys has no shortage of women among the main cast. The women who interact with Homelander are used for a particular purpose: developing his character. These women make Homelander more compelling; they decorate his personality and demonstrate how obsessive and damaged he is. Their existence makes Homelander far more multidimensional. The gender-swapped characters of Stillwell, Stormfront, and Neuman have a particular impact on Homelander’s character and how he is perceived.

The dynamic between Homelander and Madelyn Stillwell is one where the power is constantly shifting. Without Homelander’s relationship with Stillwell, his character’s vulnerability might never be exposed. When Stormfront enters Homelander’s world, he feels he has met someone who understands his ruthlessness and passion. Without Stormfront, Homelander would feel less validated, which could affect his confidence. In a complicated series of exchanges with Victoria Neuman, Homelander reveals the depths of his ability to calculate and execute his plans to get exactly what he wants. Without Neuman, Homelander’s ability to strategize may not have been highlighted as clearly.

The Boys Fixes A Comic Complaint By Adding More Women

The women of The Boys are plentiful, but they exist as props

More women have been added to The Boys, addressing the issue of representation in comics. Even though Stormfront nearly perished and Stillwell was killed by Homelander, the show’s treatment of women has improved generally as a result of the increased number of women. With the support of The Boys’ spinoff series, Gen V, Neuman has been able to go beyond merely advancing Homelander’s tale. Stillwell and Stormfront were significant actors in past seasons. Still, the program has taken a chance by not letting the genderqueer characters tell their own experiences.

Homelander is without a doubt The Boys’ strongest sucker. It certainly seems sense that he would need the support and guidance of other characters. Since Homelander’s character is undoubtedly the most significant in the series, it makes sense to center other characters around him. Nevertheless, ignoring the negative aspects of employing women as props for the development of male characters would be unfair. The decision to gender-swap Stillwell, Neuman, and Stormfront clearly made Homelander a better program, but it may have come at the expense of the show’s general portrayal of women.