Warning: spoilers ahead for The Boys season 4, episode 6, “Dirty Business.”
Summary
The Boysseason 4 takes one cameo from Sony’sSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verseand makes it infinitely darker thanks to some chocolate cake, a safe word, and holes where holes shouldn’t be.The Boyshas parodied many Marvel and DC superheroes, and Spider-Man finally gets his turn in season 4, episode 6. After setting up the supe’s debut with an Easter egg on the character select screen of Ryan’s Vought video game,The Boysseason 4 introduces Webweaverproperly in “Dirty Business.”
Dan Mousseau joinsThe Boysseason 4’s castas the official Webweaver, but the spider-themed suit is mostly worn by Jack Quaid’s Hughie throughout episode 6. As a means of infiltrating Tek Knight’s manor, Hughie dons Webweaver’s outfit and is subjected to a string of unwanted acts at the hands of both Tek Knight himself and Vought’s Ashley Barrett before Kimiko and Starlight ride to his rescue. Hughie’s day impersonating Webweaver is traumatic and unnerving, but made all the darker by a hidden connection to the 2023 animated movieSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
Tek-Knight In The Boys: History, Powers & Live-Action Changes Explained
Gen V first introduced Tek-Knight to the universe of Amazon Prime’s The Boys, and here are the character’s powers, history, and comic changes.
Jack Quaid Also Played Earth-65 Peter Parker In Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse
Webweaver Isn’t Quaid’s First Spider-Rodeo
The Boysseason 4 is actually not Jack Quaid’s first time playing a sort-of-not-quite variation of Spider-Man. Sony’s hugely successfulSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Versefeatured a glut of voice cameos bringing different Spidey variants to life, and Quaid was among them as Earth-65’s Peter Parker, who turns into Lizard instead of Spider-Man. The fact thatQuaid portrays both an official version of Peter Parker in a legitimate Marvel movie andThe Boys' twisted parodyof that character makes Hughie’s time as Webweaver all the more shocking.
Putting Jack Quaid in the Webweaver outfit is likeThe Boyscasting an ex-Batman actor as Tek Knight, or hiring Paul Rudd to walk around another man’s urethra. It creates a stronger connection between the parody and the franchise being parodied, and whatever happens toThe Boys' warped version feels like it’s happening to the genuine Marvel or DC character. In Quaid’s case, his status as a proper Peter Parker actor makes it feel like the actual Peter Parker - not just a comedic ripoff - is the one being asked to dounspeakable acts in Tek Knight’s cave.
It’s Dark, But The Boys Proves Jack Quaid Would Be A Great Live-Action Spider-Man
The MCU’s Next Spider-Man Actor?
From the mask smelling of “ass sweat and broken dreams” to squelching a chocolate cake with his buttocks, very little of the real Spider-Man’s daily schedule crosses over with Hughie’s experience inThe Boysseason 4, episode 6. Nevertheless, there is something about seeing Jack Quaid in a spider-suit that undeniably confirms him as a perfect live-action Spider-Man. Stan Lee created Spider-Man to be the every-man hero the vast majority of other comic superheroes were not, and Jack Quaid’s Hughie occupies that same role forThe Boys.
After seeingThe Boysseason 4’s scene of Hughie removing Webweaver’s mask to reveal his disconcerted, boyish expression, it’s no huge leap to imagine him doing the same with a red and blue costume.
Just as Spider-Man isn’t a vengeful night-stalker like Batman or a godlike savior of Superman’s ilk, Hughie remains directly opposed to the reckless violence of Butcher and the glory-seeking ego of Homelander. Additionally, after seeingThe Boysseason 4’s scene of Hughie removing Webweaver’s mask to reveal his disconcerted, boyish expression, it’s no huge leap to imagine him doing the same with a red and blue costume as live-action Peter Parker in a Marvel movie.
Zendaya Deserves An Apology After The Boys Season 4’s Unbelievably Grim Joke
The Boys has been lampooning renowned actors and characters since S1, but it might have pushed the envelope too far with its season 4 Zendaya joke.
It’s a role Quaid has perfected across four seasons ofThe Boys, and seeing the actor in Webweaver’s suit only underlines the comparison. After starting his career as a sneering villain inThe Hunger Games, Quaid’s affinity for humble, human heroes earnestly trying to help others has made him well-suited forThe Boys' Hughie, ideal for Peter Parker inSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and perfect for a future live-action Spider-Man.
July 18
The Boys
The Boys is a gritty and subversive take on the superhero genre, focusing on a group of vigilantes who confront powerful superheroes abusing their abilities, exploring themes of corruption and moral ambiguity in a world where heroes are not always what they seem.
