After a rollercoaster season with shocking twists, epic battles and some truly gross-out moments, fans are on the edge of their seats to find out what’s next for The Boys.
The good news is that Amazon Prime Video has officially renewed the show for season 4, meaning we can expect more diabolical antics from Billy Butcher, Homelander and the rest of The Boys cast in the not too distant future.
Last month, showrunner Eric Kripke told RadioTimes.com that the season 3 finale is designed to set the stage for the next chapter, so fans should keep an eye out for any clues that could signpost where the series is headed next.
“The storylines that we have set up need to smash into each other at the end of this season,” he explained. “And out of that explosion comes the new threads of the storyline, that then we pick up [in] season 4.”
Jessie T Usher, who plays speedster A-Train in the superhero drama, added that The Seven is “worse off than when we began” by the end of season 3, which could mean even more unpredictable behaviour ahead from its remaining members.
Here’s everything we know about The Boys season 4 so far.
The Boys season 4 release date speculation
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The Boys was officially renewed for a fourth season on Friday 10th June 2022, just one week after season 3 premiered on Amazon Prime Video to strong reviews and fan engagement.
“Speaking for the cast and crew, we’re so grateful to Sony, Amazon and most of all the fans for embracing the show and allowing us to make more,” said showrunner Kripke in a statement.
“We’re thrilled to continue Butcher and the Boys’ fight against Homelander and the Seven, as well as comment on the insane world we’re living in. Also, this is the first time in history that exploding genitalia has led to further success.”
Some fans have theorised that the show was nearing its natural conclusion during season 3, but Kripke refused to weigh in when quizzed by RadioTimes.com, citing his past claim that Supernatural would end after five seasons (it ran for 15 in total).
He said: “As the person who was literally the most wrong in the world of how long a show should go – like, there’s no showrunner in the history of the medium who has ever been so wrong about when his show was going to end – I would say that I’ve learned well from that mistake and I don’t really give away where my endpoints are anymore.”
As for when The Boys season 4 could premiere, it might be sooner than the 21-month turnaround for the pandemic-produced third outing, with shooting reportedly due to start next month.
“I think August 22nd, we’re going to be starting season four,” star Karl Urban told Collider. “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.”
With this timeline in mind, The Boys season 4 could premiere in late 2023 – but that’s just an estimate for now.
Who could return for The Boys season 4?
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While Amazon Prime Video is yet to release an official cast list for The Boys season 4, it seems almost certain that series leads Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Erin Moriarty, Laz Alonso, Karen Fukuhara and Tomer Capone will reprise their roles as Billy Butcher’s vigilante squad.
The show wouldn’t be complete without Antony Starr’s chilling Homelander, with Chace Crawford and Colby Minifie also likely to return as his sycophantic underlings The Deep and Ashley Barrett.
We could also see more from Jessie T Usher as A-Train, who briefly looked like he could be written out of the show after a cardiac arrest midway through season 3, only to be brought back to life by the scientists at Vought.
Usher told RadioTimes.com what he wants to see in season 4: “I’d like to see A-Train interact with the Boys a little bit more. I feel like he only sees them in passing, he doesn’t really get a lot of opportunity to even engage with them.
“And I feel like he’s aware of a lot of what they’re doing and he’s choosing to ignore a lot. I feel like just seeing him acknowledge the world around him a little bit more, it would be pretty interesting if we were to get into season 4.”
What could happen in The Boys season 4?
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The story of The Boys season 4 is likely to be another mix of plot elements from the original comic books and new ideas inspired by real-world headlines.
In July 2022, Karl Urban revealed to Collider that even he wasn’t sure exactly what would happen in the next season, but he had no doubt it would be “insane”.
“We’re about two months away from filming, and I have no idea [what will happen]. So that’ll tell you something, but yeah, not too far away… I’m actually going to be seeing Kripke next week and I expect conversations will start to happen about what he’s got in store,” said Urban.
“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.”
In conversation with RadioTimes.com, showrunner Eric Kripke outlined his belief that each episode of The Boys should be narratively satisfying even when viewed in isolation, so expect a similar plot structure to be present next season.
He explained: “I think every episode should have a story. I’m so endlessly irritated by pretentious streaming showrunners who say, ‘well really what we’re making is an eight-episode movie’. It’s like, ‘go f**k yourself, man’.
“We’re in the television business and it’s our job to make episodes of television, there’s a reason they’re called the episodes. And so for me, I want every episode… to have its own beginning, middle and end. And I need the season to have a beginning, middle and end.”
Kripke added: “There’s some people who not only have no resolution in their episodes, they have no resolutions in their seasons, and they’re expecting you to make an investment of 16 hours before you get to anything – and that’s insane to me.”
Is there a The Boys season 4 trailer?
Not yet! But we’ll be sure to update this page when the first footage drops.
The Boys s1-3 is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. Check out more of our Sci-Fi and Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
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