Why The Boys Season 4 Is Going To Blow You Away
Hollywood has been through a lot as an industry since "The Boys" Season 3 aired on Amazon Prime. SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America members went on strike, bringing Tinseltown to a virtual standstill with demands for better pay and clarity on the use of artificial intelligence. At the same time, the superhero movie and TV trend began winding down after more than a decade of domination, with The New York Times asking, "Is this the endgame for the age of heroes?" The outlet cited Marvel's downturn in fortunes as an example, but one superhero property that still has its edge is "The Boys."
Fans have been waiting for almost two full years to see "The Boys" come back to Amazon Prime Video, and they can finally get excited now that the Season 4 premiere date — June 13, 2024 — has been announced. The hit show, which was created by writer Eric Kripke and is based on a graphic novel series of the same name, has been subverting audience expectations of the superhero genre since its premiere in 2019. As such, it holds a unique place in the comic book media landscape, and this has seemingly kept it safe from the spreading superhero fatigue. Based on what we know about Season 4 so far, it looks like "The Boys" will continue to shock, delight, and fascinate viewers.
The first three seasons are pretty much perfect
Since its first season, "The Boys" has been a huge hit with critics and audiences. All the existing seasons are Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, with the last two holding near-perfect scores of 97% and 98%, respectively. "The Boys" has gotten better with every new installment, and The Guardian's Joel Golby has even compared its subversive, unapologetic tone to an old HBO hit you may have heard of called "Game of Thrones" (here's hoping "The Boys" has a better ending).
"The Boys" doesn't shy away from physical or emotional violence and it isn't afraid to sacrifice a beloved character in service of the larger story. While most of the show's cast is made up of people who were virtually unknown before they landed their roles, it is also well-anchored by Karl Urban's veteran gravitas and unhinged performance as Billy Butcher. Antony Starr has also done incredible work as Homelander, a psychopathic man-boy who happens to be the most powerful supe on the planet — as well as the show's most consistent antagonist.
Everything we learn about the world of "The Boys" and its characters, every scene that moves the story forward and every deranged act of violence or extreme callousness that we witness, helps to build the show beyond its original premise. "The Boys" is no longer just a violent, darkly humorous take on the superhero craze, it's becoming a complex, familiar, and fantastical study of the real world's darkest issues.
Season 3 ended on a shocking note
At the end of "The Boys" Season 3, Ryan left Billy Butcher and the boys to fly away with Homelander, his biological father. The two landed among a crowd of people, consisting mostly of Homelander's radical fans but also a few people protesting him in support of Starlight. Make sure to check out our full explanation of the ending of "The Boys" Season 3, but the most important thing to know is that Season 3 ends with Homelander angrily decapitating a particularly rowdy Starlight supporter with his laser vision. Homelander's supporters are quiet only for a few moments before they start to show him emphatic adoration, which comes as a welcome surprise to the supe.
The question that Eric Kripke is seemingly going to ask in Season 4 is: Can someone like Homelander, a demagogue at best and a violent, sexual predator and murderer at worst, avoid consequences for his actions? It will be very interesting to see whether or not Homelander faces any real legal ramifications as a result of murdering a civilian in front of hundreds of people — the fact that the protester threw something at his son will no doubt form the basis of his defense. More interestingly, what will Ryan think of his father's actions? Judging by the smirk on his face following the protester's gruesome death, it seems as though he's ready to side with his dad.
Vought is introducing new supes
In the first look at "The Boys" Season 4, which Amazon revealed back in 2022, the new characters Firecracker and Sister Sage were revealed. "These new Supes are some of the best & craziest ever written for #TheBoys," showrunner Eric Kripke said on X (formerly Twitter) following the announcement. "You are going to love them. And by love, I mean be absolutely horrified & a tiny bit nauseous."
Valorie Curry plays Firecracker, who wears a red, white, and blue get-up, while Sister Sage, who wears a gold and bronze costume, is played by Susan Heyward. It's the latter who can be heard talking to Homelander about democracy in the December 2023 teaser trailer. "If you crush the masses, who builds your monuments?" she asks, adding: "The people will tear it apart themselves. You just gotta nudge 'em a little. Then you get to swoop in and be the one saving it."
We still don't know a whole lot about the powers of Firecracker and Sister Sage, though Amazon did say that the latter is "already a thousand steps ahead of you" in a tweet, which perhaps means that she's some kind of clairvoyant. This would explain why Homelander seems so interested in what she has to say about the political situation in the teaser. Firecracker seems like a more hands-on supe, judging by her gun-themed belt buckle and the Glock-17 strapped to her thigh. In the official trailer for "The Boys" Season 4, she declares: "This is a biblical war. Good versus evil. And I'm declaring hunting season on Starlighters."
It's an election year
"The Boys" is many things — cartoonishly violent, relentlessly pessimistic, capable of surprise — but subtle is not one of them. Much like the original comic on which it's based, the show is meant to serve as a dark satire of the superhero genre and society in general. It might seem like "The Boys" is an extreme interpretation of what a world dominated by mindless capitalism, white supremacy, and unabashed bigotry might look like, but really the only part of it that's unrealistic is the existence of meta-humans.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Eric Kripke went into detail about Homelander's real-world influences, saying: "All he ever wants is to be the most powerful person he can be, even though he's completely inadequate in his abilities to handle it. So it's white male victimization and unchecked ambition. And those issues just happened to reflect the guy who, it's just still surreal to say it, was f****ing president of the United States. And it's a bigger issue than just Trump. The more awful public figures act, the more fans they seem to be getting."
Kripke certainly isn't shy about clarifying the parallels between his show and today's political landscape. 2024 is an election year for America in real life and Season 4 of "The Boys" will find Homelander supporting a vice presidential bid from fellow supe and covert collaborator Victoria Neuman. It'll be interesting to see how a fictional election in "The Boys" might be informed by real-world events (and eerie to consider what a show like "The Boys" might end up predicting).
The Boys has a new member
One notable change that took place in "The Boys" Season 3 is the state of Starlight's superhero career. After the violent events at Herogasm and Vought Tower, Annie January gave up her position on The Seven and tossed out her Starlight costume, seemingly for good. Now that the Boys have decided to take a more democratic approach to their work moving forward, it makes sense that Annie will be joining the team full time.
It will be interesting to see Annie as a full-time member of the crew because she's butted heads with Billy Butcher since they first met. Annie and Butcher aren't enemies, but they have diametrically opposed ethical philosophies. Annie is probably the most morally upright character on the show. Where characters like Hughie and Maeve are meant to represent everyday people who try to do good but sometimes get caught up in feelings like insecurity and fear, Annie is a representation of everything that a good supe (and a good person) should be.
Time and again she's found a way to stand up to Homelander and Vought without sacrificing her morals, often in the face of terrifying threats. Butcher has remained adamant from the beginning that it's impossible to beat the bad guys unless you play by their rules, yet Annie has disagreed with him at every opportunity. The official trailer for "The Boys" Season 4 gives us a glimpse into what's sure to be a difficult adjustment period: Annie tells Butcher that his plan is "insane and desperate," to which he replies, "Well insanely desperate is where we are, don't you think, love?"
Family drama will reach boiling point
It's been announced that Simon Pegg will be returning for "The Boys" Season 4 to reprise his role as Hughie's father and that a new actor, Rosemarie Dewitt, has been cast as Hughie's mother. In addition to a plot that will most likely be revisiting Hughie's familial history, Cameron Crovetti (who plays Ryan, the super-powered son of Becca and Homelander) has been bumped up to series regular for Season 4. "The Boys" will most likely continue to explore the significance of family and specifically what it means to have a fractured familial relationship.
Throughout the show, Butcher, Annie, Homelander, Victoria Neuman, and many other characters have had to deal with exploitative and/or abusive parents. Kimiko and Butcher have been forced to come to terms with their brothers' tragic ends. Stillwell, Victoria, MM, and Becca all made immense sacrifices for the sake of their children. In Season 4, a new dynamic will arise between Butcher, Homelander, and Ryan.
Butcher, who took a paternal role in Ryan's life after Becca's death (only to later pull a "White Fang" and pretend to hate the kid) will most likely be facing off against Homelander for the sake of Ryan's soul. Despite the fact that Butcher hurt Ryan with his rejection, Ryan still asked Homelander to spare him during their confrontation at the end of Season 3. There's still hope that Butcher can reinforce Becca's influence on Ryan, but right now the child is firmly seated in Homelander's camp.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan is joining the cast
"The Boys" has many ties to "Supernatural," another beloved show from writer/showrunner Eric Kripke. Kripke is the biggest link between the two series, but multiple behind-the-scenes professionals have worked on both, including composer Christopher Lennertz and executive producer/director Phil Sgriccia. Jensen Ackles (who famously played Dean Winchester, one of the two lead characters in "Supernatural") was added to the cast of "The Boys" as Soldier Boy in Season 3, and Kripke also ramped up the "Supernatural" Easter eggs that year, many of which can be found in Ackles' various scenes.
At the end of Season 3, Soldier Boy is neutralized and put back into cryostasis after causing a lot of destruction in a short amount of time, so it's not likely that we'll see him back again as soon as Season 4 (though it's not impossible, because he's not dead). However, we have a new "Supernatural" connection to be excited about for Season 4: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who played John Winchester, the father of Ackles' character.
Morgan joins the cast of "The Boys" as an old pal of Butcher's named Joe Kessler. While there is a Joe Kessler in the comics, it's unlikely that Morgan's TV version will have much in common with him, as (believe it or not) the show isn't nearly as grotesque and disturbing as the comics, and this character really is out there. If that seems vague, let's just say the comic book Kessler has a unique nickname connected to a bizarre backstory, but look it up at your own peril.
Another gross supe (and another Supernatural connection)
Jeffrey Dean Morgan isn't the only "Supernatural" alum who will be taking up a role in "The Boys" Season 4. Rob Benedict, who played Chuck Shurley (aka God) in "Supernatural," has been cast as a character called Splinter. Benedict (who has also been credited as a writer and a producer on a number of projects) has been a working actor for a long time, with many one- and two-episode TV roles under his belt. He's probably best known for his role in "Supernatural" and his recurring role as Richard (a character who often provided necessary comedic relief) on "Felicity."
Benedict's "The Boys" character appears to have an ability that's not exactly unique in the long history of superheroes, but it's one that's actually quite disturbing in practice, and that comes across in the teaser for Season 4. In one scene, Benedict's Splinter is face to face with Mother's Milk, and the latter gets to see where this supe gets his name — Splinter proceeds to split himself in two, which looks terrifying and clearly grosses MM out. Outside of his self-replicating abilities, not a lot is known about Splinter, though he's clearly politically active — when he splits himself down the middle, he's wearing a t-shirt that says something about Starlight. The shots released so far hide the last word, but we can see that the shirt reads "Starlight is a [something]."
Gen V set the stage for The Boys Season 4 perfectly
"Gen V" is a recent spin-off of "The Boys" that premiered on Amazon Prime Video in 2023. The show follows several young, super-powered students at the Vought-founded Godolkin University, where they compete for a chance to join the Seven. While "Gen V" won't have a ton of overlap with "The Boys," one major plot line from the spin-off will definitely carry over into Season 4 of the original show.
"Gen V" introduced viewers to a new virus with the potential to kill supes. Godolkin's dean Indira Shetty, whose family died in a plane crash that was caused by Homelander following a botched rescue, wanted to distribute the virus far and wide in order to take down everyone with superpowers that resulted from Compound V. Shetty was killed before she could fulfill her mission and the virus ended up in Victoria Neuman's possession.
In the post-credit scene of "Gen V" Season 1, Billy Butcher shows up at The Woods, the underground medical facility where Vought manufactured the supe-killing virus as a failsafe. This was a big hint that the virus would play a crucial role in "The Boys" going forward, and the official trailer for Season 4 confirmed as much. "I have found the answer to all our prayers," Butcher tells his comrades. "A virus that kills supes." The trailer also confirms that Maddie Phillips (Cate Dunlap) and Asa Germann (Sam Riordan), aka The New Guardians of Godolkin, are crossing over into "The Boys."
The cast is hyped for Season 4
When Amazon dropped the first full trailer for "The Boys" Season 4 in May 2024, excitement among fans of the show reached a fever pitch, but it's not just the viewers who are hyped for the upcoming batch of episodes. "It's my favorite season we've ever shot," Jack Quaid, who plays Hughie, told Esquire. "It's a very intense season. You really get to mine the depth of every character — and it still has those What just happened?! moments." Quaid went on to say that he expects people to be pleasantly surprised about the way things pan out in Season 4. He added: "We take some chances that I think are really awesome. It's our best one yet."
Quaid's words were echoed by Erin Moriarty when she sat down with Gold Derby. The Starlight actor said that things are going to escalate in a way that nobody will see coming in Season 4. "I don't think anyone could possibly predict what's going to happen, and I think it's going to cause a lot of gasps," she said. "It's going to require some mental preparation, even if people know what our show entails." Antony Starr (Homelander) has also been talking to the press about how the show — and his character in particular — will grow in Season 4. He told the Los Angeles Times that Homelander has gone from being a perfect PR machine to someone who refuses to rein in their murderous rage, and that Season 4 will see him "negotiating both of those elements."
One thing's for sure — Season 4 is shaping up to be epic. Why not check out our complete guide to "The Boys" in the meantime.