The Boys season 3 spoilers follow.
If ever there was a sign that fans were intoxicated by The Boys’ lewd, crude, shock-and-awe factor, it was the season-four renewal that came just one week after the show’s season three premiere.
That just so happened to be the episode that featured the dick that went kaboom. This probably wasn’t the only contributing factor to The Boys’ increased viewership, but no doubt it helped. What followed the season three debut was — simply put — diabolical.
The Boys’ season three finale left too many questions unanswered, and we’re just chomping at the bit to have them resolved.
So, when is the next season coming back, and which characters have made it to the fourth round? Here’s everything we know about The Boys season four.
The Boys season 4 potential release date: When’s it on?
Season three of The Boys came to an end on July 8 2022 — and though news of a fourth season was already in the bag, updates on a likely release date have been pretty scarce.
Karl Urban was quick to tell fans back in June that filming of the next season would begin shortly, saying: “I think August 22, we’re going to be starting season four. So I’m getting back, getting my Butcher back on, and I can’t wait.
“It’s a fun gang to play with. We work hard and play hard, and I can’t wait to see where they take the characters from where we leave them at the end of this season.”
As it turns out, Urban’s intel was extremely reliable — down even to the date. On August 22, 2022, showrunner Eric Kripke took to Instagram and posted a picture of what appears to be the season-four premiere script, titled ‘Department of Dirty Tricks’.
The accompanying caption read: “Day One.”
Day One#Season4 #TheBoys #TheBoysTV @TheBoysTV @PrimeVideo @SPTV pic.twitter.com/M66rk8tpR1
— Eric Kripke (@therealKripke) August 22, 2022
Kripke’s post was quickly followed by Hughie actor Jack Quaid, who announced work had begun on season four by posting a throwback photo with the caption:
“This photo is from the first day The Boys were all on set as a team during season one. I feel so lucky and grateful that I get to start this journey all over again with my family. Let’s do this!!!! #TheBoys #Season4.”
The sweet sentiment was, of course, topped with some sweary gestures.
Today we start work on season 4. This photo is from the first day The Boys were all on set as a team during season 1. I feel so lucky and grateful that I get to start this journey all over again with my @TheBoysTV family. Let’s do this!!!! #TheBoys #Season4
pic.twitter.com/ma8EB2wZ2u— Jack Quaid (@JackQuaid92) August 22, 2022
The previous three seasons of The Boys have dropped between June and September, and we predict the same for season four.
The Boys season 4 cast: Who will be coming back?
While so many characters teetered close to the edge of death in The Boys’ season three finale, only one was pushed to an early grave. We’re sadly referring to Black Noir (Nathan Mitchell), who we actually assumed wouldn’t be returning for another season on account of his guts being ripped out by Homelander (Antony Starr).
But wait! As ever with The Boys, there’s a twist.
“Here’s what I’ll say without spoiling anything, which is that particular individual who is Black Noir is dead. His organs are out all over the place,” Kripke said (via CBR). “But when you have a completely silent, completely masked-clad hero, they’re reasonably easy to recast.”
Even more mysteriously, this recast character will be played by the same actor.
As Kripke explained: “If we were going to play and remix the character, I think that everyone’s seen a very stoic version of Black Noir, so if they were going to do something new, I think it would be fun to go in the opposite direction.”
“I think contrast is really interesting, wherever you’re dealing with characters,” Black Noir actor Nathan Mitchell said (via CBR).
“And the core of Black Noir, for me, was always the contrast. The notion of, you have this super intense killer, right, who’s menacing and scary and threatening, and then, like, he talks to cartoons. He has imaginary friends, he’s really soft and sensitive.”
Meanwhile, though Dominique McElligott’s Queen Maeve didn’t meet an untimely end, it’s uncertain whether or not McElligott will be reprising the role. Her character arc seems to have come to a close (more on that below), but we very much hope to see her on the call sheet.
The cast members we do expect to appear in The Boys season four are as follows:
- Jack Quaid as Hughie Campbell Jr
- Laz Alonso as Mother’s Milk (MM)
- Tomer Capone as Frenchie
- Karen Fukuhara as Kimiko Miyashiro
- Erin Moriarty as Starlight/Annie January
- Antony Starr as Homelander
- Chace Crawford as The Deep
- Jessie T Usher as A-Train
- Cameron Crovetti as Ryan
- Giancarlo Esposito as Stan Edgar
- Colby Minifie as Ashley Barrett
- Claudia Doumit as Victoria Neuman
We also predict a Soldier Boy return, which will mean more Jensen Ackles, and that can’t be a bad thing.
The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke has also basically confirmed this by sharing that he’s “100%” up for a Soldier Boy return.
“The old TV adage, is like, never kill anyone unless you really, really have to. Never close a door, open a window,” he said. “We’ll all have to wait and see, but I can’t imagine the series ending without Soldier Boy making another appearance.”
Jensen Ackles also said he’s keen for a Soldier Boy comeback as well, adding: “I know Kripke is very smart about how he sends his characters off because he can always bring them back. So I know there are plans in talks, but I don’t know exactly what those are.
“But I told Krip: ‘Look, man, put me in anytime. You tell me when to come running, I’ll come running’.”
Simon Pegg fans can rejoice, as he’ll be back for season four. And he’ll be joined by The Staircase’s Rosemarie Dewitt as Hughie’s long-lost mum (via Variety).
Rob Benedict (Supernatural) and Elliot Knight (Titans) are also joining the cast, in undisclosed roles, which probably means they’ll be recognisable supes from the comics.
Speaking of supes, Susan Heyward will be playing superhero Sister Sage, and Valorie Curry will take on the mantle of Firecracker.
Also joining The Boys’ season four roster will be The Walking Dead and Grey’s Anatomy actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
The news was announced over social media by the official The Boys’ Twitter page in a post that read: “Chuffed to welcome @JDMorgan to The Boys S4. Can’t confirm if he’s gettin’ any tights, though.”
Chuffed to welcome @JDMorgan to The Boys S4. Can’t confirm if he’s gettin’ any tights, though. pic.twitter.com/ApDpQgo0QC
— THE BOYS (@TheBoysTV) August 25, 2022
So, if not a supe, who will he be? Oh, the fun we’ll have guessing!
For now, news of his involvement was met with pure enthusiasm from his fellow cast mates.
Quaid posted: “YES! Welcome to the party @JDMorgan!!!!”
YES! Welcome to the party @JDMorgan!!!! #TheBoysSeason4 @TheBoysTV https://t.co/jYnHpRlWf1
— Jack Quaid (@JackQuaid92) August 25, 2022
Urban joined the discourse, writing: “@JDMorgan joins The Boys. Whaaaattt!! Mind blown. Welcome JD. CAN NOT WAIT!”
@JDMorgan joins
The Boys
Whaaaattt !!
Mind blown ?
Welcome JD
CAN NOT WAIT ! https://t.co/8MpkO66FWK— Karl Urban (@KarlUrban) August 25, 2022
Chuffed, Morgan replied: “Man!! I can’t wait!! We gonna PLAY!!”
Man!! I can’t wait!! We gonna PLAY!! https://t.co/wyytJUu6RS
— Jeffrey Dean Morgan (@JDMorgan) August 25, 2022
Morgan’s character hasn’t yet been revealed, but we imagine we’ll find out closer to broadcast.
And surely it’s only a matter of time before Jared Padalecki pops up on the show, perhaps as a sidekick to Jensen Ackles’s Soldier Boy. We can dream, can’t we?
The Boys season 4 plot: What will happen?
Your guess is as good as Karl Urban’s, who revealed he had no idea what the fate of the characters was while season three was still on the air.
“I have no idea. So that’ll tell you something, but yeah, not too far away,” he said in early July 2022. “I mean, I expect that we’ll… I’m actually going to be seeing Kripke… and I expect conversations will start to happen about what he’s got in store.
“I like to give them the respect of being able to do their writing process and not be harassed by actors going: ‘What are we doing?’ But I can’t wait. They always come up with insane stuff, so yeah, it’s going to be fun.”
Well, not to add the pressure, but we need to know!
When we last saw Butcher, he was handed a death sentence. His abuse of the temporary V drug had fatal repercussions for the tough-as-nails supe-slayer. This could mark the end of the road for him unless Kripke has an ace in his back pocket.
The fate of Queen Maeve was also unclear. During her fight with Soldier Boy, he hungry-caterpillar-ed her powers, gobbling them until she was mortal.
Maeve seemed pleased with the outcome and used her defeat as an excuse to fake her death and live in peace with her girlfriend Elena (Nicola Correia-Damude). However, we can’t help but root for a Maeve return.
As for Soldier Boy, he may have been put on ice, but we don’t imagine that’s a permanent state. When he defrosts, he’ll have some scores to settle — and if there’s not a father and son showdown in the near future, we’re writing a strongly worded letter that will begin: ‘Dear Eric Kripke, explain yourself.’
Asked about a possible return, Ackles kept his shield close to his chest.
“There’s some things out there,” Ackles said (via WinterIsComing.net). “I’m not allowed to give anything out, but we’ll just say that Soldier Boy is not dead. Thank God.”
Elsewhere, Vought and The Seven spun out of control after Homelander’s takeover. The Deep and A-Train were hardly the strongest members of the gang, and yet, it is they who remain.
Season four of The Boys will have to explore the company’s restoration in one way or another. We wouldn’t be surprised if Ryan’s indoctrination began early.
If that’s not enough meat for the bone, we can’t forget about the head-popper Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit). Her ultimate game plan has yet to be revealed, but we have a feeling we’re getting closer.
And beyond all that, Kripke has confirmed that future episodes of The Boys will also cross over with his spin-off show Gen V.
“There’s definitely crossover,” Kripke said. “And we’re doing our best to design a universe that sees some of the issues and storylines in season three hand off to the first season of Varsity.
“There’s a presidential campaign happening in the background of that season, and there [are] certain things that are happening at that school that are both in reaction to season three of The Boys.
“There’s Soldier Boy, etcetera, but also some new storylines that are happening in that season of the spin-off that we have to pick up and take into season four of the show.”
When Digital Spy asked Frenchie actor Tomer Capone about what lies in store, he couldn’t share much — for one very specific reason:
“Do you know what? I’ve got to be honest. I’m anxious and I’m excited and thrilled just like you or the fans that are saying to themselves: ‘What’s next?’
“Listen, man, for me, getting the script is like the Christmas present that I never get to have. Because I don’t celebrate Christmas. I’m Jewish. It’s like wrapping a gift up. I don’t even want to ruin what Santa Claus has in store for season four for Frenchie.”
But you can expect Kimiko to be a key character in season four, as Kripke seems especially invested in her character (via ScreenRant).
“It’s one of my favourite storylines,” the showrunner said. “You’re really watching her blossom as a personality and really starting to express her own agency.
“For so much of Kimiko’s life, she was doing what other people wanted. It was really important to me that, even though she might not be speaking literally, she really has a voice, and she really has a point of view and a perspective. It’s a blast to do it.”
He continued: “And Karen [Fukuhara] deserves more credit than I think she gets because she is doing one of the great highwire acts on TV right now. I defy you to pick a moment where you don’t completely understand where Kimiko’s head is at, what she’s thinking and how she’s feeling. And she’s doing it without saying a damn word.
“That is so hard, and Karen does it so effortlessly that it’s just truly an astounding thing to watch.”
Whatever happens, expect different facets of all the main characters to be revealed.
“Every season, we go a little bit deeper with each character,” actress Erin Moriarty said (via Collider).
“The characters… that you thought would be villains, you start to learn a little bit more about them that perhaps makes you feel, not that they’re good guys, but that there are always gonna be details that you can never anticipate, that prevent you from putting that character in a box.”
Whatever happens, it’s going to get weird. Season three hit a pretty high bar for strange stuff (‘Herogasm’, anyone?) — but in season four, the show “somehow gets weirder and weirder and weirder”.
That’s according to Anthony Starr (via Variety), who still seems slightly shocked by what Homelander gets up to in the new season.
“There has to be a ceiling, but we can’t seem to find it. I was looking at the person I was opposite, and I said, ‘What are we doing? I can’t believe this! I could have done anything else with my life, but here I am doing this?'” he said. “It was truly the most bizarre thing I’ve ever done.”
The Boys season 4 trailer: When can I watch it?
The age-old question. Considering filming hasn’t even started yet, we’re in for quite a bit of a wait — but keep checking. We’ll update you as soon as there’s news.
Source: digitalspy.com