Anyone who has seen “The Boys’, an Amazon Prime exclusive that chronicles, in gruesome fashion, both the kayfabe and real-life power struggles dealt with by superheroes and villains alike, knows of Homelander. That includes WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, who has drawn a comparison or two with the character as of late.
After all, The American Nightmare does don ringwear that is quite similar to that of Homelander, and Rhodes was recently featured in a crossover commercial for the show that ended with the champ’s eyes glowing laser red.
Homelander, you just met your American Nightmare! Watch all new episodes of The Boys streaming now on Prime Video. #ad @TheBoysTV @PrimeVideo pic.twitter.com/H0undFNrqw
— Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) July 2, 2024
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But while that’s all fun and games, Rhodes says don’t compare him to the hellscape of a man that is Homelander.
“With all the love I have for ‘The Boys’ and his performance as Homelander, the entire cast, and their production is first class — what a production — [my] robe is not based on it,” Rhodes told Insight with Chris Van Vliet, via Fightful.
He says there’s a much deeper meaning to the design that transcends a fictional character, and it jives with him being a remarkably ambassador for wrestling and, himself, one of the best humans around.
“The robe is based on military dress uniforms,” he explained. “It’s the little bit of scales, the gold on my bigger robe that has the eagles and, of course, the blonde hair.”
Rhodes went on to confess that his run in AEW might be contributing to the narrative.
“I think the AEW run where people thought I’m pretending to be a good guy, but I’m actually a bad guy, which maybe it was what was happening?” he asked. “I think that’s where it really became, ‘Is he gonna go full Homelander? Truthfully, Homelander, the character, is a terrible human being.”
His latest comments are basically a revisit based upon those he made as AEW TNT Champion in early 2022.
“I never want to ruin it for anybody. I never judge our fans or hold them accountable," he said of fans' comparisons, via Comicbook.com. "They pay their money. They can do whatever they’d like. That’s the beauty of being a fan, but I can tell you Sandra Gray, who’s been making my gear since Dashing Cody Rhodes, has no idea about Homelander.
"And now, that jacket is forever synonymous with it, but it is a really unique parallel. I know people have a lot of fun with fan art when it’s concerned."
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It is indeed a fact that Homelander is a horrendous being, that much is true, but he’s also the star of the one the runaway hit ssries and a character we all love to hate — tuning in religiously to see what he does next while constantly waiting for whatever fate might await him.
In other words, Homelander is one of the best megaheels ever created, and if Rhodes were to ever flip that switch in WWE, which seems a foregone conclusion at some point in his career, going “full Homelander” isn’t entirely inconceivable.
If anything, it’s likely just a matter of time.
