Within a short period of time, The Boys has successfully become a fan-favorite series revolving around superheroes. In pop culture, superheroes are typically portrayed as kind, thoughtful, heroic individuals born with a moral obligation of saving humanity.
However, when it comes to The Boys, the exceptional Supes with unimaginable powers are mostly corrupt, manipulative characters who care about their social status more than doing any good for humanity. Yes, there are exceptions in characters like Starlight (played by Erin Moriarty), but the show mostly deals with morally ambiguous, super powered individuals who will use their power for their own good - one of them being Victoria Neuman. Insanely powerful, she can make heads explode without a thought. This ability stems from her power to manipulate (and read) blood. Her eyes go white before she performs this power move that can give major supes a run for their money.
However, as The Boys season 4 ended, fans and viewers witnessed the most unexpected execution of Victoria Neuman at the hands of a super powered Billy Butcher. While many might think that Butcher's violent act is rooted in his urgency to settle the score with Supes and gradually erase their existence, a few theories explain more about it.
Billy Butcher is now a Supe
Billy Butcher (played by Karl Urban) was introduced in the atypical superhero world from the very beginning of the show as one of the two main protagonists. His traumatic past experiences with Supes and the death of his beloved wife Becca, drives Billy to take down corrupt Supes, who are the major antagonists of the show.
Billy is shown to be incredibly violent and aggressive. In season 3, after an initial consumption of Temp V (a compound that gives a person powers for 24 hours), he gained some abilities similar to Homelander, including heat vision. However, what it also gave him was a tumor, that turns cancerous and worsens Billy's health to the point of him being hospitalized. He was cancer-ridden and his guilt takes the form of Joe Kessler (played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan) - an imaginary character who repetitively pushes Billy to his darker side. After Billy takes Compound V to save his own life, we see his cancer develop into super-powered tumorous tentacles, essentially making him a Supe.
At end of season 4, we see Billy tear Victoria apart with his tentacles, right in front of her daughter and other members of The Boys. Was it a calculated decision or did Billy Butcher simply kill Victoria Neuman only because of his hatred? What might be the other possible reasons for his cruel act? Read below to explore the possible theories.
Theory 1: Billy Butcher calculated Victoria Neuman's future
The first theory about why Billy Butcher brutally ripped apart Victoria Neuman in two pieces suggests that the newly transformed Supe calculated Neuman's powers and political status in the future, which could serve humanity as a threat.
Neuman initially presented herself as an ally to Butcher and The Boys but eventually disclosed her manipulative and cunning nature by siding up with Homelander to gain political power. Her aim to become the Vice President might have influenced Billy Buthcher's plan to eradicate all Supes, starting with her because a super-powered Vice President can severely affect the already delicate power balance in The Boys' universe. So, before anything comes in Billy's way, he immediately kills Victoria Neuman.
Theory 2: Billy's revenge against Neuman
Another reason why Billy Butcher couldn't stop himself from killing Victoria Neuman might be due to his failed plan to save his stepson Ryan. At the end of season 4, Butcher asks Ryan to leave Homelander and stay with Grace Mallory, but he refuses to abandon Homelander and rejects his stepfather's request.
Following the rejection, Butcher thinks that he can no longer save Ryan from turning into the very thing he hates, and believes that all of this happened due to entities like Vought and people like Neuman being in power. Neuman's cunning way of eliminating people including Susan Raynor might have triggered his past trauma of seeing his wife suffer at the hands of a Supe. This theory explains that Victoria Neuman wasn't just a villain in the eyes of viewers, but her continued betrayal and killing of innocent people might have triggered Billy Butcher.
Theory 3: The consumption of Temporary-V and Compound-V made Billy Butcher lose morality
As seen in The Boys, Billy Butcher initially consumes Temporary-V which gives him cancer and worsenes his thoughts and morality. However, in season 4, Butcher finally injects himself with the most powerful Compound-V, which transforms an individual into a Supe.
However, it could be true that this formula significantly affects the wiring of the brain, leading a Supe to become even more complex and ruthless. Butcher, who previously wanted to unveil the true personalities of the corrupt heroes, now becomes one of them. In the show, we see most superpowered individuals to be dweling in gray areas of morality and Compound V might be one of the reasons why.
Claudia Doumit's thoughts on Billy Butcher killing Victoria Neuman
While talking about her character in The Boys, and the unexpected death of Victoria Neuman, actress Claudia Doumit explained that Billy Butcher initially thought of making things right, but after the consumption of Compound-V, he went back to his cruel, and most formidable form.
In her interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Doumit said:
"I think he’s been attempting this season to play things by the book or let them make decisions, or he has begrudgingly attempted to do things the right way or as the team wants to do it. But in this final episode, in this final part of the season, he’s decided that’s not working. And it’s almost as if he’s gone to the old Butcher who is very unforgiving and just needs to get the job done, which is scary Butcher."
Neuman's actions against Billy Butcher and The Boys ultimately lead her to her death. Many fans also believe that her execution was well-deserved and was the outcome of her actions. Fans believe that Neuman only had allegiance to herself and Zoe and Butcher was right to kill her.
The Boys Season 4 is available on Prime Video.
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