Billy Butcher has to change in The Boys season 3 in case Ryan becomes the new Homelander. Butcher has come a long way since The Boys season 1, but his actions from the start have been driven by hate, anger, and a desperate need for revenge.
The Boys season 2 introduced Ryan, the son of Rebecca and Homelander, the leader of the devious superhero team called the Seven. Like his father, Ryan has destructive powers and can blow people to pieces with the force of his laser eyes alone. Prior to meeting Homelander, Ryan lived a quiet and very sheltered life with his mom. Unbeknownst to Ryan, however, both he and Rebecca were under constant surveillance by Vought, the evil corporation that controls the Seven and its stream of the power-inducing Compound V. Up until Homelander showed up at his home at the end of season 1, Ryan didn’t even know he had powers.
However, The Boys season 2 finale revealed that Ryan’s abilities were largely fueled by his emotions. The angrier he got, the more catastrophic they could be. This was showcased in the scene where Stormfront was choking his mom. Stormfront's actions enraged Ryan, causing him to unleash the full extent of his powers. As a result, he eviscerated the lower parts of Stormfront's arms and legs and left her a mumbling shell of her former self. Ryan’s powers were so uncontrollable that he accidentally killed his mother as well. It was pretty brutal, to say the least. Butcher witnessed what Ryan could do firsthand and it terrified him; this is why a change is not just a good thing for both Ryan and Butcher, but an absolute necessity.
Butcher has always been scared of Ryan’s powers, especially since he knows what Homelander is capable of doing. That said, understanding the damage Ryan can do in the future should make Butcher realize that he has to make a personal change in his own life. While Ryan is being protected by the FBI, Butcher is the best father-figure option Ryan has at the moment. The only way forward is for Butcher to realize that his intense hatred and anger needs to be tempered. If he can learn to control his emotions - which drive him to be unhinged and extremely violent - then he can eventually teach Ryan how to do it as well.
For all that Butcher hates about Homelander, the pair share a lot of similarities. They are both easily enraged and fueled by their uncontrollable emotions. The biggest difference here is that, based on The Boys season 3 could expand upon Butcher’s feelings. Rather than giving into the uncontrollable fury that has motivated all of his actions thus far, The Boys could finally explore the ways in which Butcher can counteract this behavior. If Butcher can alter his own extreme emotional reactions, then there’s hope he can lead by example and show Ryan how to do the same.