The creator of The Boys, Eric Kripke, has responded to Elon Musk's criticism of the series finale, which ignited an online feud between the show's creator and cast, and the tech billionaire. The clash began on Thursday when Musk took to his social media platform, X, reacting to a user who claimed that the show's main villain, Homelander (portrayed by Antony Starr), was used as an unstable analogue for Donald Trump as part of a “deranged sexual humiliation fantasy.” Musk bluntly labeled the series finale “pathetic.”
Kripke Welcomes Musk's Backlash
Rather than being offended by the criticism from the world's richest man, showrunner Eric Kripke laughed at the multiple negative reviews. “HAHAHAHAH. He’s posting. MULTIPLE TIMES. Also I have notes on his joke writing,” Kripke posted. In a separate post, he added, “And thanks for the free blue check mark I guess?” In previous posts, Kripke said, “OMG this is his review of what [The Boys] did to Homelander, I’ll never get a better review ever.”
Musk Admits He Didn't Watch the Episode
As the back-and-forth escalated, Musk defended his commentary by revealing that he had not actually watched the episode he called pathetic. Musk shared a screenshot of another reply he had sent to a user criticizing the show's conclusion, resorting to internet meme culture to mock the showrunner. He wrote: “Kripke probably got [flak] from his wife’s [boyfriend] for Homelander being used in based memes and had to write that ending as a groveling apology.” When another X user asked the Tesla CEO why he was so visibly upset over a television finale, Musk dismissed the notion, saying, “Not upset, just remarking that the ending sounds fake and gay.”
Political Subtext of The Boys
While Musk’s online complaints focused entirely on how the show handled Homelander, television critics note there may have been a closer, unmentioned reason for the billionaire's sudden interest in the series. Kripke has never hidden the political subtext of his show, previously telling Rolling Stone that Homelander has “always been” a metaphor for Trump, describing the character as a “combustible mix of complete weakness and insecurity, and just horrible power and ambition.”
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