Over the course of its four seasons, Prime Video's The Boys has taken aim at major superhero franchises (numerous shots have been fired at Marvel Studios and Warner Bros./DC), with Vought basically doubling for a massive studio machine that churns out endless sequels and spin-offs with little regard for the quality of the projects.
It hasn't gone unnoticed that, as the show has grown in popularity over the years, these parodies have been lacking some bite, and The Boys has spawned a few spin-offs of its own. In addition to Gen V and the animated Diabolical series, we have Vought Rising and The Boys: Mexico in development (and they're just the ones that have been announced).
While speaking to Collider, showrunner Eric Kripke admitted that he is afraid of the show selling out by becoming what it's been satirizing.
"I live in absolute terror of becoming the thing we’ve been satirizing for five years . The thing about The Boys is that it’s punk rock, and it hurts extra hard when punk rockers sell out . I’m really working hard to not sell out. We do these shows because we really care about them and we’re passionate about them, and they can tell fresh stories that we can’t tell in The Boys and not just be about rapid expansion but be very careful and mindful about the choices we’re making and being able to defend why we’re making them. I worry about that every single day."
Fortunately, The Boys has maintained a certain level of quality - although most would tend to agree that the most recent season was the weakest overall. The first season of Gen V also came in for a lot of praise, but it's completely understandable that Kripke would have these concerns.
What do you think? Has The Boys "sold out" in your opinion?
"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 Boys will return for a fifth and final season.