Warning: SPOILERS ahead for The Boys season 4 and The Boys comic series!

The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke confirms that the comic’s Homelander twist won’t be happening in the Prime Video show, explaining why such a development would no longer work. In the original comic series by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, it’s revealed that Homelander is not the actual villain, but that Black Noir is an evil clone of him who committed diabolical acts. While a new version of Black Noir was introduced in The Boys season 4, there is no indication of what his true identity is.

Speaking with Variety, though, Kripke confirmed The Boys‘ TV adaptation will not feature a twist wherein Black Noir is revealed to be a Homelander clone. The showrunner believes having the twist would make the buildup for the leader of the Seven unsatisfying, as it would take away from him being the core villain of the series. Check out what Kripke had to say below:

No, and I don’t mind saying it. In the comics he’s a clone of Homelander this entire time and is actually the one doing all these horrific things. And again, it’s a hell of a twist. But it’s like, well wait, the villain I’ve been following isn’t really the villain. And mileage varies, and I’m sure fans are mad I’m not going that way, but that felt not as satisfying to me. I’m like, if I’m going to follow this villain, I want this guy to be the villain. So I was never really into the clone idea.

Plus, cloning feels like too — I’m going to sound silly — but cloning feels too magical for the show. We try to say that superheroes are the only slippery banana, and that everything else we try to make as grounded as possible.

Why The Boys’ Homelander Comic Twist Doesn’t Work In The Show

The Boys Show Has Spent Time Building Up Homelander As A Threat

The twist in the comic reveals that Black Noir had been tricking Homelander into thinking he had an alternate personality, slowly corrupting him in the process. When the mysterious Supe is revealed to be a clone, he becomes the primary antagonist of the story, killing the real version of himself in the process. This is a far cry from the version of Noir introduced in the show, who ended up being a former member of Payback who sustained brain damage because of Soldier Boy.

While the cast of The Boys doesn’t yet know the identity of Black Noir II, Kripke’s statement confirms that he is not going to surprise everyone by being a clone of the Seven’s leader. It would be a disappointing twist given the direction of the story, too, as Homelander has been built up to be a dangerous force who only grows more unstable with every new season. Since season 4 explores more details from his past, it would be disappointing for that buildup to be tossed away for the sake of revealing he was never actually the villain.

By keeping the twist from happening in the show, Kirpke also ensures Homelander will be a menacing threat right up through The Boys season 5. Since these final two seasons of the show will likely see him at his breaking point, it would disrupt the momentum to reveal he wasn’t actually who the audience thought the whole time. Not having the twist serves to make the show’s main antagonist all the more formidable, keeping up the momentum as he becomes an even greater threat.

Source: Variety