WARNING: Spoilers ahead for The Boys season 3, episode 5
Itching to see Superman and Captain America settle their patriotic differences in live-action? The Boys season 3 might just be your best bet. As rivals of the superhero game, Marvel and DC characters rarely intertwine, but such rules don't apply in the satirical world of Amazon's The Boys, where both companies' rosters are fair game. Representing Marvel are the G-Men (X-Men), Crimson Countess (Scarlet Witch) and Termite (Ant-Man). Parodying DC are Queen Maeve (Wonder Woman), the Deep (Aquaman) and Homelander (Superman). Joining the fun in season 3, Jensen Ackles' Soldier Boy riffs hilariously on Captain America.
As the all-American heroes of their respective brands, Superman vs. Captain America feels like a natural fantasy match-up. And while Clark Kent should score a relatively easy victory on paper, something about Steve Rogers' guile and determination suggests he'd put up a surprisingly good fight. Captain America and Superman have very occasionally crossed over in comic specials, but a live-action clash looks desperately unlikely. Marvel Studios has struggled to unite its own creations back under one umbrella (see: Tom Holland's Spider-Man), so any prospective Marvel vs. DC movie would represent a near-impossible logistical and legal nightmare.
Fortunately, The Boys season 3, episode 5 sets up a close enough replacement in Homelander vs. Soldier Boy. The final moments of "The Last Time To Look On This World Of Lies" see Billy Butcher and Hugh Campbell approach the recently-released Soldier Boy with a "team-up" proposition, and Hughie confirms in a tempestuous exchange with Starlight that Captain Cocaine is the Boys' weapon against Homelander. Butcher initially believed the Moscow mission had been a dud, but by the end of episode 5, he clearly knows Soldier Boy's red blast totally negated Kimiko's Compound-V abilities. Since no supe is capable of besting Homelander head-to-head, Butcher and Hughie must intend to render Homelander powerless by exploiting Soldier Boy's crimson energy wave.
Less clear is why Soldier Boy actually agrees to the arrangement. Sure, Butcher freed him from Russian scientists and tied up Crimson Countess, but the ex-Payback leader doesn't exactly come across as grateful (he calls Butcher an "asshole" right off the bat), and could've easily handled Crimson Countess without assistance. More likely, Soldier Boy feels out of place in this unfamiliar modern world, and needs team members to guide him through. A Payback reunion obviously isn't happening, so it seems the Boys just gained a Soldier.
And maybe Soldier Boy has his own reasons for killing Homelander. Vought's Seven star was designed as a successor to Soldier Boy (as confirmed in The Boys Presents: Diabolical) and copied the same patriotic gimmick. When Soldier Boy then returned to America in The Boys season 3, episode 4, pictures of Homelander assaulted him from every angle. Killing his own "replacement" makes perfect sense for a character as egotistical and self-centered as Soldier Boy, making the bargain with Butcher and Hughie an "enemy of my enemy" situation.
Given time to play out, Homelander vs. Soldier Boy should represent a fairly accurate cover version of what Superman vs. Captain America would look like. Homelander possesses powers of flight and laser vision in addition to superior physical abilities, while Soldier Boy is a super soldier with a shield. It's a mismatch on paper - just like the Marvel vs. DC original - but Soldier Boy has the advantage of a more mature mentality, whereas Homelander remains an overgrown man-child. While The Boys' Superman parody doesn't possess a Krpytonite-esque weakness, Soldier Boy's red blast serves a very similar function in the sense that one good shot leaves Homelander vulnerable. With the chances of Kevin Feige and Warner Bros. agreeing on a big screen MCU/DC crossover smaller than Termite's little toe, The Boys season 3 can finally show what a live-action Superman vs. Captain America fight would look like... and maybe even pick a winner.
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The Boys continues Friday on Prime Video.