Prime Video/Amazon’s The Boys has been kicking for five years with four seasons to show thus far. That’s a far better-than-average pace on streaming services (looking at you, Severance) with one more season to come. That the show has maintained momentum despite the too-close-to-reality stories (one of them being an unintended coincidence) is worth singling out, especially since the post-Endgame MCU is still struggling and the DCU is currently being built by James Gunn while sidestepping DCEU ashes.
After the flagship show launched, the Diabolical, and Gen V spin offs have helped round out side stories, and at least one more spin off will rise. For now, let’s focus on what we can expect from The Boys‘ fifth season.
Plot
As viewers will recall, the fourth season finale saw Sister Sage’s plan succeed and the incoming president vow allegiance to Homelander and hand him the reins. He has now become de facto ruler/king and declared martial law, so that the Supes could round up rebels and confine them to detention camps. That includes The Boys members Hughie, MM, Kimiko, and Frenchie with Butcher/Kessler in the wind and Starlight having shot into the stratosphere.
What’s next? The plot armor of previous seasons is off the table, as showrunner Eric Kripke previously told Total Film, so anybody and everybody could die. From there, Kripke plans to “blow the doors off it in a really exciting way,” and although Homelander runs the U.S. (“it’s his country now”) and has everything that he wanted, he will increasingly unravel, according to EW:
“He’s literally all trauma. I think what he plays so beautifully about it is he wants to be a god, but he’s a man. And it’s kind of slowly, or maybe not so slowly, driving him insane. So dealing with things like aging, dealing with insecurity, dealing with a need for love — all very normal human things, these are all things he finds detestable. He needs them, but he’s revolted by them all at once.”
Remember Homie’s third season mirror scene, where he has a meltdown at himself for being partially human and wanting to be loved? That tracks.
Kripke also divulged that Butcher would be “completely committing to being a monster,” and Hughie would be “solidly learning what it means to be human.” Hopefully, Hughie will also be a vital part of a plan to kill Homelander because Jack Quaid suggested that Hughie is due for some proper action after going through hell: “[T]he night is always darkest before the dawn, and I think you’re gonna see some cool stuff from Hughie next season.”
With that said, Quaid hopes that the show will stop focusing on his butt shots. “Oh, man, I kind of just want nudity to stop,” Quaid declared to Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast via People. “My butt’s had a lot of screen time and it’s not a great one, you know what I mean.” Leave Hughie’s butt (and that poor cake) alone.
Wild cards do exist this season as well. We don’t know what type of powers Ashley will have (please let her Hulk out), but after so much humiliation and other verbal abuse from Homelander over the years, there’s another character who really him dead. As does MM, but he’s got a Love Sausage problem.
Cast
A sigh of relief came from those who worried that A-Train had permanently left the building after removing his tracker and leaving Vought International. Jessie T. Usher appeared alongside cast members on the eve of filming in Toronto.
Other returning cast members on The Seven side include Antony Starr (Homelander), Chace Crawford (Deep), Susan Heyward (Sister Sage), Nathan Mitchell (Black Noir), and Valorie Curry (Firecracker). After Ashley (Colby Minifie) Supe-d out in the fourth season finale, we don’t know where her loyalties will lie, although a good guess would be that she has no remaining warmth for Homelander and Deep after they pinpointed her for death.
Also Supe-powered Solider Boy (Jensen Ackles) will return and hopefully taunt Homelander again, and Ryan (Cameron Corvette) will likely seek out his bio dad again. And with Cindy (Ess Hödlmoser) back in play for Vought, don’t count her out. We could also see more from Gen V crossover stars Maddie Phillips (Cate) and Asa Germann (Sam).
Vigilante returns include Jack Quaid (Hughie), Erin Moriarty (Annie January/Starlight), Karen Fukuhara (Kimiko), Laz Alonso (Mother’s Milk), Tomer Capone (Frenchie), and Karl Urban (Billy Butcher).
Daveed Diggs is onboard in an undisclosed role, and we could see Eric Kripke have another Supernatural reunion with Jared Padalecki, who has hinted to that effect. Jeffrey Dean Morgan, as well, will probably remain in Butcher’s head as Joe Kessler.
Fingers crossed for final returns from ghostly Becca Butcher (Shantel Van Santen) and the retired Queen Maeve (Dominique McElligott).
Release Date
A staggered release schedule will deliver Gen V in 2025 to tide viewers over until The Boys returns in 2026. From there, Vought Rising sounds geared toward 2027, but don’t expect The Boys: Mexico to happen anytime soon. Eric Kripke has been clear on how that spin off is lower priority, if it happens at all.
Trailer
No trailer exists yet, but Homelander’s airplane scene will always be famous.
