The clash between Butcher and Homelander will enter a decisive phase in the fourth season of The Boys. Billy is more desperate and determined than ever to wipe his enemies off the face of the Earth… and he will be equipped with a weapon familiar to the viewers of Gen V, The Boys spin-off series.
The next season promises a fresh dose of spectacular clashes, raunchy jokes and creative gore.
We’ve flown around the net with our laser eyes to round up everything we know to get you prepared for season four – keep on reading to find out more.
What is the release date for The Boys season 4?
Season 4 of the series will debut on Prime Video on Thursday, 13 June 2024, with a three-episode premiere. The following episodes will appear on the service weekly.
Season 4 will consist of eight episodes in total.
Is there a trailer for The Boys season 4?
The first teaser for the upcoming season of The Boys is here, promising the usual shocking gore and political shenanigans:
Butcher and Homelander are assembling their teams in the dark and bloody official trailer for the new season:
The Boys season 4 cast – who is returning?
Based on filming images and interviews, we know which cast members are definitely returning. They are:
- Antony Starr as Homelander
- Karl Urban as Billy Butcher
- Jack Quaid as Hughie Campbell
- Jessie T Usher as A-Train
- Erin Moriarty as Annie/Starlight
- Chace Crawford as The Deep
- Laz Alonso as Mother’s Milk
- Karen Fukuhara as Kimiko
- Tomer Kapon as Frenchie
- Cameron Crovetti as Ryan
We also expect to see the return of the following:
- Dominique McElligott as Queen Maeve
- Claudia Doumit as Victoria Neuman
- Giancarlo Esposito as Stan Edgar
Jensen Ackles has not been confirmed for a return as Soldier Boy, but showrunner Eric Kripke has strongly hinted that we will see more of him in the show.
There are also some newcomers on the block this season. Jeffrey Dean Morgan – best known for The Walking Dead, Grey’s Anatomy and Supernatural – will be joining, as confirmed on Twitter:
The official Twitter account couldn’t make any promises that Morgan’s wish for tights will be fulfilled, and the latest trailer seems to hint that he’ll be a new ally to Butcher and The Boys, rather than a supe.
Also joining the cast are two new supes – Valorie Curry as Firecracker and Susan Heyward as Sister Sage.
What is the plot for the next season of The Boys?
Spoiler warning for season three of The Boys. If you’re not all caught up on the plot, don’t scroll any further.
Prime Video
The official description of the season states:
In Season Four of The Boys, the world is on the brink. Victoria Neuman is closer than ever to the Oval Office—and Butcher, who has only months to live, has lost Becca’s son as well as his job as The Boys’ leader. The team is fed up with his lies—but with the stakes higher than ever, they have to find a way to work together and save the world.
One major plot point in the forth season will be the battle between Homelander and Butcher over Ryan. At the end of the season, Homelander introduced Ryan to the public, who got behind the violent actions of the supe when he straight-up murdered a Starlight supporter in broad daylight.
Eric Kripke has confirmed this in a interview with E! News: “A lot of the season will be a battle over Ryan… because if Homelander ends up raising and influencing the kid that’s basically a second Homelander with apocalyptic stakes.”
The divide of the public between Starlight and Homelander will also be a major focus for season 4, according to an interview with Kripke for Insider. He said: “…society as a whole is fracturing into these two factions and no one’s listening to each other and the threat of violence just gets worse and worse every day… it’s an appetizer of what all these superheroes are gonna be doing to society in season four.”
According to the official Twitter account for the show, Homelander will stand trial for attacking a fan, but he’ll have the backing of Vought media:
Butcher was facing potentially fatal consequences for his use of the temporary Compound V drug that he took throughout the third season. Kripke expanded on this in an interview with IGN: “He has a very loudly-ticking clock…. he’s going to have to prioritise.
“He’s going to have to decide which of those goals are the most important to him and go after them, whether or not it’s what the CIA wants him to do or the other Boys want him to do. He has to focus on what’s important before he dies.”
The fate of Queen Maeve is also unclear – it appears she has lost her powers for now. But will Homelander take advantage of that and seek revenge after their battle?
Homelander will also have to watch his back where his father, Soldier Boy, is concerned. It is highly likely that he will wake up from stasis, and when he does, he’ll have a score to settle.
Victoria Neuman is also yet to reveal her endgame, so how do her political ambitions fit into all of this? Kripke told IGN that she’ll have to manage her relationship with Homelander carefully. “She’s a character who is always trying to play all sides depending on the situation she’s in.
“The problem is now she’s sort of in league with Homelander, who is the opposite of trying to play all sides. He’s becoming more and more radicalized actually. And so figuring out how she can manage his madness while still protecting her options to maneuver is going to be a challenge.”
Newcomer supes Firecracker and Sister Sage are brand new characters, so we’re not sure what to expect. However, Kripke has promised “some of the best & craziest ever written”, so we’re in for a wild ride.
Kripke also revealed on that the final episode of the series will be called ‘Assassination Run’, indicating that someone major may be killed off.
The latest trailer confirms that characters from Gen V and the special weapon produced in the secret lab at Godolkin University will appear in season 4. Thanks to dean Shetty and Grace Mallory, Butcher will get a sample of a virus that can kill supes – and he’s going to make good use of it.
How to watch The Boys
If you want to catch up on the first three seasons of The Boys, you’ll need an Amazon Prime Video account. It’s not just entertainment that you’ll get with a Prime account; read more about the benefits of signing up to Amazon Prime.
Not sure whether there are enough shows on Amazon to pique your interest? Have a gander at the best TV shows on Amazon Prime Video and the best movies on Amazon Prime Video.
Will there be a fifth season of The Boys?
Amazon has not yet confirmed if The Boys will come back for a fifth season. However, series creator Eric Kripke claims the season 4 is not the end of the show in the following tweet: