The Boys season 4 episode 7 features a scary sequence that all but confirms Ryan as Homelander’s replacement. One of the most famous sequences in The Boys occurs at the end of season 3, when Homelander 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s a man in broad daylight and Ryan smiles rather than being concerned about his father’s conduct.

The sequence is legendary because it not only demonstrates that Homelander’s supporters would love him regardless of what he does, but it also shows that his influence is gradually rubbing off on Ryan.

Following the conclusion of The Boys season 3, season 4 continues Ryan’s delicate relationship with Butcher and developing devotion to Homelander. There are times in Season 4 of The Boys that imply Ryan has already come to embrace Homelander’s unethical ideology. However, others argue that there is still hope for the youthful supe. Unfortunately, one scene in The Boys season 4 episode 7 practically confirms Butcher’s greatest fear: Ryan has become Homelander.

Ryan’s Vought Christmas Special Rant Parallels Homelander’s Birthday Speech From The Boys, Season 3

Both go off-script on live television, defying Vought’s orders.

In The Boys season 3 episode 2, Starlight leads Homelander to apologize to everyone by referring to him as “human” and admitting that he, too, makes errors. Homelander doesn’t take this well. He interrupts Starlight, claiming she is lying. He then begins talking about how he is superior to everyone else in terms of strength, intelligence, and capability. Despite Ashley Barrett’s attempts to cut him off with rolling advertising, Homelander listens to her with her superhearing and cautions Vought executives not to intervene. Ryan does something similar in The Boys season 4 episode 7.

Ryan is forced to sing an unpleasant song on television for a Vought Kids Christmas special in episode 7 of The Boys season 4. While he initially resists raising his voice, while he is live on television, he loses his cool. As a result, like Homelander in The Boys season 3, he musters the strength to speak out for himself, requests that Ashley and other Vought officials refrain from airing advertising, and bravely admits how much he misses his mother. Like Homelander, he ultimately goes off script, revealing the grim truth about how he is changing.

Ryan’s Homelander Parallels Prove Butcher Is Wrong About Him

Ryan Is Starting To Walk On Homelander’s Footsteps

After watching Ryan defy Vought on live television, Butcher celebrates, believing he is finally drifting away from Homelander and will eventually leave him. Homelander, too, seems concerned when he sees Ryan talking about his mother. Butcher even confronts Kessler, claiming that this is why he still has “faith in the kid.” However, what Butcher fails to see is that Ryan is becoming more and more like Homelander. The clear parallels between Ryan’s Christmas Special rant and Homelander’s birthday speech establish that, like Homelander, Ryan is starting to realize the true scale of his powers.

He’s increasingly realizing he doesn’t have to answer to anyone, not even Vought, because he can utilize his invincibility to manipulate and control situations to his advantage. Butcher may have interpreted Ryan’s defiance and determination to defend his mother as a sign of morality, which he thought Ryan would lose under Homelander’s influence. Unfortunately, Ryan’s season 4 outburst demonstrates that he is tired of being persecuted for his power and has begun to believe that he is superior to everyone else.

Ryan’s changing morality foreshadows a dark future for Billy Butcher.

Butcher may resort to extreme methods if Ryan does not change.

In season four of The Boys, Billy Butcher’s faith in Ryan is the only thing keeping him from embracing Kessler’s radical ideas. However, if Ryan, too, fails him, Butcher may finally shake hands with his evil alter ego and embark on the dark path of inciting supe carnage. Since Ryan’s Christmas Special speech in The Boys season 4, episode 7 still leaves some doubt about his shifting morality, Butcher may still have time to save him from Homelander before it’s too late. However, with Ryan on the verge of becoming Homelander 2.0, Butcher must move soon.