The Boys returns with a new season of superhero antihero mayhem, along with a few new supes
Humanity is being goaded into tearing itself apart in a brand-new season of The Boys, with the first three episodes of the ultra-violent, anti-superhero series dropping this week.
Last season, The Boys thoroughly explored how and why superheroes (or “supes,” as they’re called in the series) serving as military weapons is a recipe for disaster, before hinting at the political storylines that dominate this upcoming season. (Warning: potential spoilers lie ahead for those who are not yet caught up.)
Victoria Neuman, portrayed by Claudia Doumit, was revealed to be a secret supe who has been using her powers to eliminate obstacles in her way as a congresswoman. This season, Victoria tries to step into the Oval Office while doing the bidding of a recently unrestricted, power-hungry supe.
Meanwhile, Homelander (Antony Starr) has become an unstoppable force after learning last season that he can maintain a loyal following no matter what awful things he does in plain view of everyone. Together, Homelander and Victoria stoke division and erode America’s democracy for their own gains.
Also returning this season are Karl Urban as Billy Butcher, Jack Quaid as Hughie Campbell, Erin Moriarty as Annie January/Starlight, Jessie T. Usher as Reggie Franklin/A-Train, Laz Alonso as Marvin T. Milk, Chace Crawford as Kevin Moskowitz/The Deep, Tomer Capone as Serge/Frenchie, Karen Fukuhara as Kimiko Miyashiro, Colby Minifie as Ashley Barrett and Cameron Crovetti as Ryan.
New additions to the cast are Susan Heyward as Sister Sage, Valorie Curry as Firecracker and The Walking Dead alum Jeffrey Dean Morgan in a yet-to-be-revealed role (Morgan, by the way, is no newcomer to the antihero scene, having starred as the Comedian in 2009’s big-screen adaptation of Watchmen).
In the new season, Butcher is now terminally ill after using too much of an experimental drug that temporarily boosted powers in the final showdown last season. Meanwhile, he’s also on the outs with the rest of The Boys, who have had it with his manipulations. The only way to keep Homelander and Victoria from destroying humanity is to get the band back together and take them on.
The Boys’ showrunner Eric Kripke spoke to Entertainment Weekly about this upcoming season’s new supes, noting that Sister Sage’s super intelligence as “a Black woman who was raised in a low socioeconomic area,” is “both commentary and satirical that you have literally the smartest person in the world that could cure all of society’s ills, but she can’t get anyone to listen to her. So then she becomes a bitter misanthrope.”
Firecracker, clad in red, white and blue, “represents both members of the conspiracy-minded movements and the super extreme right-wing news media,” Kripke shared in the same EW interview. Firecracker proudly stands centre-stage with Homelander, trigger-happy and ready for a firefight.
Rosemarie DeWitt also joins the cast this season. Portraying Hughie’s absentee mother, DeWitt completes his fractured family unit alongside Simon Pegg, who returns this season as Hughie’s father, Hugh Campbell.
Quaid also spoke with Entertainment Weekly about the upcoming season, discussing Hughie’s journey with his family. Quaid hinted at the Campbell family history and Hughie’s relationship to the Piano Man himself, Billy Joel, saying, “It’s a big reason why he is the way he is: loyal to a fault, doesn’t want to be alone.”
Viewers will have to wait to learn more about DeWitt’s character, but Quaid shared a spoiler-free crumb with Entertainment Weekly, saying that working with her was “some of the more fulfilling work” he’s done in his acting career.
While Hughie has a tragic backstory within a gruesomely violent show, Quaid shared that he, DeWitt and Pegg enjoyed an uncomplicated relationship with each other while filming the new season, saying, “We had a blast. We became a weird family. I’m very excited for audiences to see the Campbell family chaos this year because it’s pretty great.”
The Boys is an adaptation of the popular comic book series of the same name by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, published from 2006-2012. Ennis’ earlier work, Preacher, was also recently adapted into a four-season TV series on AMC, airing its final episode in 2019.
The Boys premieres Thursday, June 13 on Prime Video