The Boys

Characters are largely original to the comic; no high-profile swaps of established icons.

Features strong female characters like Starlight, Queen Maeve, and Kimiko, but the show also gives full arcs to flawed male protagonists and villains; it's not a 'men are the problem' message piece.

• Starlight as a moral force against Vought
• Queen Maeve as a disillusioned veteran hero
• Stormfront critiques the male-dominated Vought hierarchy

Multiple openly LGBTQ+ characters with real storylines, including Queen Maeve's bisexuality and Frenchie/Kimiko subtext, plus other queer supes.

• Queen Maeve's relationship with girlfriend Elena
• Maeve coming out publicly via Vought PR
• Various queer supporting supes

Diverse cast fits the modern American corporate-satire setting; casting reads as natural rather than as a checkbox against lore.

• A-Train as a Black speedster
• Kimiko as an Asian mute character
• Mother's Milk leads The Boys

The show is heavily satirical and openly skewers performative corporate activism, racism, and right-wing populism, often making its political points overt.

• Stormfront as a literal Nazi influencer pushing white-nationalist messaging
• Vought's cynical 'Girls Get It Done' marketing satire
• Homelander courting MAGA-style nationalist crowds
• 'Brave Maeve' rainbow-capitalism Pride campaign satire

Homelander embodies toxic masculinity and nationalism as deliberate critique, and white-supremacy/fascism are explicit villain themes, though it targets specific ideology more than masculinity wholesale.

• Homelander as a critique of nationalist strongman masculinity
• Stormfront's white-supremacist propaganda as villainy
• Satire of American 'savior' patriotism via Vought

Adapts the comic with changes, but deviations are tonal/creative rather than identity-agenda-driven rewrites of established characters.

• Expanded role and arc for Starlight beyond the comic
• Stormfront reimagined as female