For every major comic book hero, The Boys seems to have some sort of twisted counterpart that serves as both a tribute and a parody at the same time. However, the Prime Video series has long avoided paying homage to a specific type of superpowered character. Don't expect the show's fifth and final season to break that trend, either.
The Boys somehow manages to be a blend of originality and the exact opposite. While Anthony Starr's Homelander essentially boils down to being an evil Superman, the show does have Supes with powers that are completely original to the franchise at large. That said, it's arguably more exciting and rewarding when something like a Spider-Man rip-off graces the screen. This is all intentional, of course, as is The Boys' conscious decision to have limitations on the iconic superheroes it borrows from.
Why The Boys has never included a fantasy-based Supe
As mentioned, it's tricky to go down the list of the most famous superheroes ever and not find a counterpart in The Boys. Batman = Tek Knight, the Flash = A-Train, and so on. That said, characters that have particularly fantastical origin stories just aren't part of The Boys' worldbuilding efforts. There's no answer to the Scarlet Witch, Dr. Strange, or any of those magic and/or fantasy-inspired heroes.
The biggest reason for this is that, in the show's canon, all powers come back to being exposed to Compound V in some way or another. Magic isn't part of The Boys lore. If it were, then it would feel like an entirely different show. Attributing magical powers to strictly scientific practices wouldn't really make sense. Therefore, it isn't something that can be legitimately explored without breaking The Boys' worldbuilding rules.
Furthermore, although The Boys has taken some creative liberties when adapting the comics, those changes haven't been too extreme. The source material features no characters that have magical powers, so it makes sense that Prime Video's take on the saga has honored this decision. Instead, any original characters have been limited to having powers that could believably have been brought about by Compound V.
The Boys season 5 is the least likely season yet to break this trend
As mentioned, The Boys has strayed from the comics and straight-up invented Supes who never appeared in the original version of the story. So, a magic-esque Supe could have entered the fray to make season 5 even more exciting. That said, this wouldn't make much sense to do. After all, characters like Dr. Strange are often among the most powerful figures in their respective universes. Even Superman is weak to magic. So, it stands to reason that it would be a notable weakness for Homelander, too.
And if there's suddenly an answer to taking Homelander down with ease? Well...that would feel like very lazy writing. There's still no guarantee that he'll die at all, although it's a common theory among fans. For that twist to be satisfying, though, the threat needs to come from the story's pre-existing elements. Karl Urban's Billy Butcher is at the top of the list when it comes to those most likely to bring down Homelander, and he's made it there by following The Boys' rules of getting non-magical powers via Compound V.
The Boys season 5 will release a double-episode premiere on Prime Video on April 8, 2026.