The Boys season 4 has been pushing many boundaries with its humor and gore, but it might have gone a bit too far with its unbelievably dark Zendaya joke.

After a shaky start in the first few episodes, The Boys season 4 has been filled with remarkable episodes, each one lifting the bar in terms of shock value. The season’s sixth episode does something similar, walking through various crazy instances, including one in which Firecracker wins Homelander’s heart in the most unusual way possible.

Like its predecessors, The Boys season 4 continues to mock Marvel and DC by displaying some of the most humorous parodies of their superhero characters. Episode 6 even mocks Batman by depicting Tek-Knight’s rendition of the Batcave as a bizarre underground prison where he and Ashley Barrett indulge in their darkest BDSM desires with Webweaver (a Spider-Man spoof). However, in all of these incendiary moments, The Boys season 4 nearly crosses the line with a Zendaya joke.

The Boys Season 4’s Zendaya Joke Is Hilarious (But Very Near-The-Knuckle)

The Boys Season 4 Plays With Fire With Its Zendaya Spider-Man Reference

In The Boys season 4, episode 6, Hughie (Jack Quaid) masquerading as Webweaver winds up in Tek-Knight’s “Batcave,” where Ashley Barrett exits while tickling his feet. When Hughie yells in agony and Ashley stops tormenting him, Tek-Knight reminds her that Webweaver has his own little “safe” word that he will use to get her to stop. Tek-Knight subsequently implies that the safe word is what he “loves most.” Hughie never guesses the safe word, but Tek-Knight’s Butler ultimately discloses it: “Zendaya.”

Since Webweaver is supposed to be a mockery of Marvel’s Spider-Man, and Zendaya has played MJ in MCU’s Spider-Man movies, the joke is undoubtedly hilarious. However, the fact that “Zendaya” is Webweaver’s BDSM safe word when he is in Tek-Knight’s strange dungeon almost borders on being too edgy and inappropriate. The Boys season 4’s episode 6 plays it off quite well by presenting it as a quick throwaway line. However, since the joke nearly flirts with the line of tastefulness, the show must make up for it in a creative way.

Zendaya Needs A Cameo In The Boys Season 5 To Make Up For S4’s Joke

A Zendaya Cameo Could Add Another Layer To The Joke

The delicate execution of the Zendaya joke avoids it from being offensive. However, The Boys season 5 should perform some damage control by having a cameo or better shoutout for Zendaya. A cameo from the actress can add a layer of meta-humor to the joke and reassure viewers of her involvement. If Zendaya cannot be featured in season 5 of The Boys, the program may make a more clear reference to her extensive work, rather than just mentioning her Spider-Man role in passing.