The Real Reason Homelander And Queen Maeve Broke Up

While there is no shortage of bad people on the Amazon Prime series The Boys, from sexual abuser The Deep (Chace Crawford) to multiple murderer A-Train (Jessie Usher), nobody is more terrifying than Homelander (Antony Starr). The combination of his unwillingness to take no for an answer, anger at being challenged, and a slew of powers that make him nearly indestructible results in a dangerous mix that leaves almost everyone he interacts with scared of him — with his adoring fans and Vought head honcho Stan Edgar (Giancarlo Esposito) standing as notable exceptions. While the fear he instills in people has been apparent in numerous encounters, the most glaring examples so far are Homelander's interactions with fellow Vought superhero Queen Maeve (Dominique McElligott).

The tension between the two superpowered individuals has been apparent since the start of The Boys, and one of their major sources of conflict is the fact that they used to be in a relationship. The reality that they're broken up has remained a sore spot for Homelander, and while the cause of their breakup has never been spoken about in the show, a deleted scene from season 1 sheds some light on the circumstances that led to it.

In a deleted scene from season 1 of The Boys, Queen Maeve is seen taking a moment to herself in the bathroom when Homelander steps in, bringing up a congressional medal of honor ceremony the two had attended when they were still a couple. Homelander points out how Maeve hesitated when taking his hand, and he pinpoints it as the moment she started pulling away from him. Maeve retorts that Homelander's cheating was the reason the two broke up, but when Homelander observes that her heart rate has increased, Maeve is clearly rattled.

While this doesn't provide a crystal clear picture of why the two supes called it quits, it sheds some more light on what happened. It's been apparent for some time that Maeve is afraid of Homelander, a fear that has been proven to be warranted given Homelander's controlling, abusive nature. Homelander's infidelity, however, is a new wrinkle, though entirely in keeping with the character. This scene also demonstrates that whatever made Maeve fearful of Homelander did not begin after they broke up, but rather while they were still in a relationship.

The interaction further serves to highlight Homelander's controlling nature: He sees a moment's hesitation in his partner taking his hand as a personal affront and has been holding on to the thought like a grudge for years. Maeve finally finding the courage to stand up to him was a key moment in the season 2 finale and is bound to affect the dynamics of their relationship. How that manifests itself remains to be seen when The Boys returns for its third season.