It has been nine years since Tony Stark told a young Peter Parker that if he is nothing without the suit, he should not have it. That moment from Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) stuck with fans because it cut straight to what being a hero really means. Now, the ending of The Boys has shown why Tony was completely right, using the show’s main villain Homelander as the perfect example of what happens when power is the only thing holding a person together.
The Scene That Still Defines Spider-Man’s Growth
The quote lands during a heavy moment in Homecoming. After Peter Parker tries to stop Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton) and accidentally puts a ferry full of people in danger, Tony Stark shows up to fix the mess. He takes back the high-tech Spider-Man suit he gave Peter. Peter argues that he is nothing without that suit. Tony Stark looks at him and says, “If you’re nothing without this suit, then you shouldn’t have it.”
That line was not just about being mean. Tony saw that Peter was starting to rely too much on the gadgets. The suit had 576 web shooter combinations, an AI named Karen, and enough firepower to take down a small army. Peter was forgetting that the real hero was the kid from Queens who chose to help people before he ever met Tony Stark. The movie proves this point in the final act. Peter fights Vulture using his old homemade costume. No high-tech gear. No instant kill mode. Just his own will to save someone he cared about. And he wins.
Homelander Crumbles Without His Powers
The Boys ended its fifth and final season in 2026. The show gave Homelander (Antony Starr) an ending that was anything but heroic. In the finale, Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) and the team finally take down the so-called god. But before the kill, Homelander loses his powers. Showrunner Eric Kripke made sure the audience saw him without the cape, without the laser eyes, and without the invincibility.
Eric Kripke told Rolling Stone that he wanted Homelander to go out “the most pathetic way possible.” He said, “Take away those powers and you are nothing.” When the moment came, Homelander did not go down fighting like a warrior. He begged. He cried. He offered to humiliate himself publicly if Butcher would let him live. Antony Starr even suggested adding a line where Homelander offers to do awful things just to survive. The actor understood that the character deserved to fall apart completely.
“As are most strong men when you remove their power and they’re faced with their imminent death, they rarely handle it bravely.” – Eric Kripke, The Boys Showrunner
Why the Contrast Hits So Hard
Put Peter Parker and Homelander side by side, and the difference is clear. Peter loses the suit and keeps being Spider-Man. He saves people, puts himself in danger, and makes the hard choices because that is who he is. Homelander loses his powers and has nothing left. No friends. No real loyalty. No code of honor. Just a frightened man who never learned how to be anything other than strong.
The quote from Tony Stark works because it identifies a simple truth. Power does not build character. It only shows what was already there. Peter Parker had a good heart before the bite. He let a thief go once and learned that lesson the hard way with Uncle Ben. That guilt shaped him. Homelander grew up in a lab, never loved, never taught right from wrong, and given everything he wanted because no one could stop him. When the power disappeared, the foundation crumbled.
Other Characters in The Boys Prove the Same Point
A-Train (Jessie T. Usher) had a similar moment in the final season. At the start of The Boys, A-Train was all about fame and speed. He killed Hughie’s girlfriend Robin and barely cared. But by season 5, A-Train had changed. He stood up to Homelander without any powers to back him. He told Homelander, “You’re just an empty f**king suit. Take away these powers and what are you, huh?” That line mirrors *Tony Stark’s* advice perfectly. A-Train learned that being a hero has nothing to do with what you can do. It is about what you choose to do.
Fans React to the Connection
Viewers have picked up on how well Tony Stark’s words fit Homelander’s end. Social media has been talking about the contrast since The Boys finale aired. Many fans pointed out that Peter Parker and Homelander represent two sides of the same coin. One uses power to protect. The other uses power to control. When you remove the power, only one of them has anything left worth calling a hero.
Antony Starr said goodbye to the role on Instagram with behind-the-scenes photos. He wrote, “It’s been a hell of a ride.” The images show him in the makeup from his final scenes, where Homelander looks broken and scarred. Fans flooded the comments, thanking him for playing a villain who made them uncomfortable for seven years.
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Tom Holland Continues Spider-Man’s Journey
Tom Holland is not done with Peter Parker yet. The next movie, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, is scheduled to hit theaters on July 31, 2026. It picks up after No Way Home, where the world forgot Peter Parker exists. Tom Holland recently said he wants to help the next actor who takes on the role, just like Robert Downey Jr. helped him. He told Empire, “If I could do what Downey did for me, then I would be so content swinging off into the sunset.”
That passing of the torch fits with what Tony Stark taught him. The suit changes. The name stays. Peter Parker will keep helping people whether he wears Stark technology or a homemade outfit. That is what makes him Spider-Man.
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