The Boys is one of the best shows on television right now. It’s smart, violent, political, and never pulls a single punch. It’s not subtle at all, shouting in our faces when it comes to critiquing gun violence, rainbow capitalism, and how they make our world an increasingly cynical and hostile place to exist in.
It recently surfaced that Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding creator Hideo Kojima was working on a project similar to the subversive superhero adaptation before watching the show himself and realising how clear the similarities were. He canned the idea, having recently told his social media followers of the shelved ambition because he’s a man who doesn’t know when to stop tweeting. I’m kidding, he’s a good egg.
Series creator Eric Kripke and Homelander actor Antony Starr chimed in too, saying how much they’d love for Hideo Kojima to helm a video game based on the show. While it likely isn’t going to happen given Kojima Productions’ current commitments to other projects - including an upcoming horror title in partnership with Microsoft - the idea of the eccentric auteur taking on this universe and putting his own spin on things is so damn exciting.
He’s a perfect fit, given that he’s also lacking in any form of subtly and loves to explore modern political themes in a strangely nuanced way given how campy and overzealous his signature qualities tend to be. Death Stranding is both a blazing critique on modern society’s continued dependence on social media and a game where you can drink Monster Energy before turning your own piss into grenades to fight ghosts. There is no middle ground to be seen, with Kojima leaning into the emotional nature of his characters and storytelling while never once being afraid to have fun with his neverending well of stupid ideas.
It’s easy to see how the man conjured up a scenario similar to The Boys, especially given how in tune with the current media landscape of films, television, and music he tends to be. Kojima is no doubt aware of how comic book cinema has taken over the world, with a once nerdy hobby becoming a mainstream success that everyone talks about. There is so much potential when it comes to subverting that popularity and exploring how cynical the corporate machine has become, but The Boys has already taken that angle to its most logical extreme alongside similar things like Watchmen, Suicide Squad, and Doom Patrol that perhaps Kojima saw he had already been beaten at his own game, that his take on such a creative concept wasn’t worth pursuing anymore.
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I’m glad he left it behind, but I also can’t stop thinking about how perfect a video game adaptation from his studio would be. The Seven remind me of so many Metal Gear Solid villains, with the majority of entries in the series filled with characters possessing ridiculous powers and backstories that are equally tragic and outlandish. Homelander could easily be positioned as a replacement for Solidus or Liquid Snake, surrounded by lower-level comrades who do his bidding due to a mixture of obligation and fear. Kojima loves to make his baddies eventually feel twistedly sympathetic, something The Boys also excels at.
The Boys are Solid Snake, Otacon, Sunny, Naomi, and company all formulating a plan away from danger just like in Metal Gear Solid 4, biding their time to strike and eventually using their enemy’s own powers against them. Both universes are defined by their blatant approach to politics, poking fun at the current landscape and how flawed our society is from so many perspectives. The difference is that Kojima thinks he is being super smart and cool when he decides to use subtext in every other cutscene, while The Boys is clearly fucking with us. Yet I think Kojima’s approach would still work if he were ever to tackle a direct adaptation, partly because certain fans aren’t even aware the show is making fun of them. If you stan Homelander or Stormfront you absolutely need to take a look in the mirror.
But how would the game actually play if it were to materialise? There is no clear way to tell, but Hideo Kojima’s past endeavours prove that his studio isn’t afraid to go against genre conventions or explore myriad ideas in the same title. Death Stranding is an Amazon Prime simulator, a survival horror stealth game, a shooter, a social interaction sim, and goodness knows what else because there was a freedom to express its ideas like few blockbusters in recent memories. It’s a strand game, because nothing else like it exists. In my head I’d see The Boys divided into two distinct parts where you play as both the powerless characters and superheroes who make up The Seven.
You’d formulate plans as rebels seeking to eradicate all Supes in existence while also playing as the global superstars who on the surface appear untouchable. There would be loads of abilities and scenarios to be explored that pinning down exactly how that might be executed is rather difficult. If Sucker Punch, Insomniac, or Ubisoft took a swing at the IP I could pitch it with ease, but Hideo Kojima is a completely different ballgame. He’s an absolute mad lad, and wouldn’t hesitate to make the weirdest shit imaginable.
The Boys and Hideo Kojima are two of my favourite things, and seeing them come together even in the grandest of hypotheticals has my brain buzzing with ideas of what could have been if fate had different plans. Never say never, because Kojima Productions’ take on this bloody, stylish, and daring superhero universe would have been something quite special.