From the very first episode of The Boys, it seemed clear that the series would not be a direct adaptation of the controversial comic book by Garth Ennis, and as the show progressed, we began to see more significant deviations from the source material.
One of the biggest changes involved silent Seven member Black Noir.
Spoilers follow.
Towards the end of the comic run, we learn that Noir has actually been a clone of Homelander all along, and was responsible for committing the leader of the Seven's most heinous crimes. Showrunner Eric Kripke was asked if he ever considered sticking to the comics for this particular twist during an interview with Variety.
"No, and I don’t mind saying it. In the comics he’s a clone of Homelander this entire time and is actually the one doing all these horrific things. And again, it’s a hell of a twist. But it’s like, well wait, the villain I’ve been following isn’t really the villain. And mileage varies, and I’m sure fans are mad I’m not going that way, but that felt not as satisfying to me. I’m like, if I’m going to follow this villain, I want this guy to be the villain. So I was never really into the clone idea.
Plus, cloning feels like too — I’m going to sound silly — but cloning feels too magical for the show. We try to say that superheroes are the only slippery banana, and that everything else we try to make as grounded as possible."
The Boys comic doesn't give many of the main characters a happy ending, but the show has already proved to be a little less ruthless and more empathetic towards its motley crew. Should we expect at least a few more fan-favorites to survive to the end of the series?
"There’s some stuff in the comic that we couldn’t do even if we wanted to. I think, look, there’s some shocking twists in the comic, but I would want them to be just a little more emotionally satisfying. And so the ending I have in mind is — certainly as elements that it’s inspired by that. But it’s not the ending from the comics."
What do you make of this? Would you prefer if the show stuck a bit closer to what happens on the page? Drop us a comment down below.
"The world is on the brink. Victoria Neuman is closer than ever to the Oval Office and under the muscly thumb of Homelander, who is consolidating his power," reads the official season 4 synopsis. "Butcher, with only months to live, has lost Becca’s son as well as his job as The Boys’ leader. The rest of the team are fed up with his lies. With the stakes higher than ever, they have to find a way to work together and save the world before it’s too late."
Returning cast members include Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara, Colby Minifie, Claudia Doumit, and Cameron Crovetti, along with new recruits Susan Heyward, Valorie Curry, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
The first three episodes of The Boys season 4 will be available to stream from June 13th, with new instalments dropping weekly through to the season finale on July 18.