The Boys’ new right-wing superhero ‘inspired by Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert’
Far right supe Firecracker from season 4 of The Boys was inspired by right wing politician Marjorie Taylor Greene (Prime Video/ Getty Images)
Season four of Prime Video’s The Boys has introduced a new right-wing superhero called Firecracker, and creator Eric Kripke has revealed that the inspiration for her includes notable Republican politicians Majorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert.
The satirical crime comedy features a band of hero hunters, including Billy Butcher, played by Star Trek‘s Karl Urban and newly revealed-to-be-bisexual Frenchie (Tomer Capone) attempting to take down corrupted superhero Homelander (Antony Starr).
Among the major arrivals for season four are Sister Sage (Susan Heyward) and Firecracker (Twilight and Blair Witch star Valorie Curry).
While the former is “the world’s smartest human”, Firecracker is a right-wing influencer, podcaster and radical figurehead from America’s Deep South. If that last part sounds familiar, or reminds you of anyone in particular, it should.
Kripke has revealed that his inspiration for the character was Donald Trump fanatic Greene, the representative for Georgia’s 14th congressional district.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Kripke said: “It’s like [politicians] Marjorie Taylor Greene [and] Lauren Boebert.
“When we were writing her, [South Dakota governor] Kristi Noem wasn’t in our heads, but then she comes out and she’s shooting puppies and it’s like: ‘There’s Firecracker, she’s literally shooting puppies’.”
In her recent autobiography, Noem detailed shooting her “untrainable” and “dangerous” wire-haired pointer, Cricket, which she described as a traimed assassin. “It was not a pleasant job,” she wrote. “But it had to be done… I hated that dog.”
Noem, a possible running mate for Trump in November’s presidential election, said she shared the story to illustrate her willingness to do things that are “difficult, messy and ugly” both in politics and in life, if necessary.
Besides being Trump’s (presumably) unpaid PR guru, Greene has tried to oust Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson over trans policies, made “sensationalist” abortion claims, and even told journalist Emily Maitlis to “f**k off” when asked about conspiracy theories.
She also called the 6 January attempted insurrection an “objection”, wishing it had been “successful, mocked a 10-year-old trans girl’s future orgasms and was targeted by Fox News for “wrecking” the Republican Party.
Kripke said that “that type of personality” served as the inspiration for a lot of the villains (and their supporters) in season four.
“You had Trump, but now you have these Trump spawn trying to outdo [one another] for how outrageous and sexualised and gun-toting and slavishly obedient they can be.
“It wouldn’t just start and end with Homelander, he would create these spores that would grow into these other characters, and she’s a version of that.
“The show’s not subtle. It wears its politics on its sleeve. And it’s funny to rip on the madness on the right, and we get some shots in on the left of all the performative wokeness and everything.”
Speaking previously about season four, Kripke, who recently revealed that season five would be the last, said that he’s got no time for complaints regarding the show being woke.
“I clearly have a perspective and I’m not shy about putting that perspective in the show. Anyone who wants to call the show ‘woke’ or whatever, that’s OK. Go watch something else,” he told Variety.
“I’m certainly not going to pull any punches or apologise for what we’re doing. Some people think Homelander is the hero. What do you say to that? The show’s many things. Subtle isn’t one of them. If that’s the message you’re getting, I just throw up my hands.”
Season four of The Boys dropped on Prime Video last week. New episodes are released weekly. Seasons 1-3 are also streaming.
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