Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Boys season 4, episode 7!

Homelander and The Seven could have killed Billy Butcher and The Boys a long time ago, but The Boys season 4 has finally explained why he hasn’t. The titular team in The Boys is made up of mere humans, and due to the gory path of destruction that Homelander has created throughout the show, it wouldn’t be a challenge for him to kill them. Strangely, however, Homelander has chosen not to, with many The Boys fans wondering why he is continuing to let Butcher and the gang attempt to take down Vought.

The Boys and Homelander have been at each other’s throats since the very beginning, with all four seasons of the show so far mainly chronicling the extent to which the titular team is willing to go in order to kill Homelander. While it is incredibly difficult for humans to kill Homelander, the inverse isn’t true, as Homelander would be able to kill Butcher and The Boys without breaking a sweat. Because of this, it has been a mystery why Homelander and The Seven’s other members haven’t killed them yet, but an explanation has finally been presented.

The Boys’ CIA Status Explains Why Homelander Hasn’t Attacked Them Before

He Doesn’t Like Their Government Status

Homelander’s decision to not kill The Boys has been a bit of a mystery throughout the show, but it is finally spelled out in The Boys season 4, episode 7. In the episode, a conversation between Homeladner and Sister Sage is shown, in which the topic of killing The Boys is brought up. Homelander explains that he can’t because The Boys work for the CIA, highlighting why he can’t attack them.

So, while Homelander is capable of killing The Boys, he doesn’t think that he is capable of taking down the CIA. Homelander doesn’t want to ruffle the feathers of one of the most powerful government institutions, and since The Boys are the pawns of the organization, Homelander can’t really lay a finger on them.

The Boys’ Explanation For Homelander Not Killing Butcher’s Team Doesn’t Entirely Make Sense

Supes Have Killed CIA Agents Before

Although Homelander’s opposition to getting on the bad side of the CIA is rational, it doesn’t entirely make sense based on the show’s past. Homelander has killed some pretty high-profile characters before, such as Robert Singer’s original vice presidential pick as well as major supes. These kills are just as likely to get him on the wrong end of weapons from the US government or Vought, but for some reason, The Boys are one step too far.

This explanation is even stranger considering that Victoria Neuman already killed a CIA agent named Susan in The Boys season 2, and things have turned out fine for her. Although Neuman wasn’t working for Homelander at this point, she has proven that she can take down her CIA enemies without much cost, something that Homelander should learn from in The Boys.