As Season 4 nears its anticipated premiere, The Boys continues to attract accusations of being “woke” given its many nods to real-life political and societal events. Creator Eric Kripke insists if fans have a problem with that, “go watch something else.”
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Kripke opened up on the criticisms of The Boys from fans about its political leanings, especially considering Homelander’s parallels to former U.S. president, Donald Trump. Kripke suggested he enjoys irking the critics, remaining unapologetic about the series’ themes and setup. “I clearly have a perspective, and I’m not shy about putting that perspective in the show,” he said. “Anyone who wants to call the show ‘woke’ or whatever, that’s OK. Go watch something else. But I’m certainly not going to pull any punches or apologize for what we’re doing. Some people who watch it think Homelander is the hero. What do you say to that? The show’s many things. Subtle isn’t one of them. So if that’s the message you’re getting from it, I just throw up my hands.”
The Boys’ entire premise, since its inception in 2019, has been about replicating real-world happenings, as the series chronicles the eponymous vigilante team combating superpowered individuals who abuse their power. Kripke also alluded to the timeliness of his series on hot-button topics, saying “The news is accurately reflecting whatever we’re talking about,” each season. Season 4 will debut amid the fallout from Trump’s hush money convictions, with Homelander long being touted as a Trump replica and The Boys’ marketing mocking some of the presidential candidate’s slogans and publicity stunts.
“Anyone who wants to call the show ‘woke’ or whatever, that’s OK. Go watch something else.”
Season 4 will further jump into the political realm as the condescending Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit) bolsters her presidential campaign with Homelander’s endorsement.
Homelander actor Antony Starr has previously spoken about how his antagonistic character and Seven leader takes inspiration from Trump and fellow former U.S. President Barack Obama. Season 4 also sees Homelander stand trial for the murder of a pro-Starlight supporter at a Stormchasers rally supporting the Nazi rhetoric of Stormfront (Aya Cash). Though he killed the supporter in public view, with his son Ryan (Cameron Crovetti) also present, the crowd cheers Homelander’s brutal act, to his pleasant surprise. Kripke previously stated the moment was inspired by Trump’s quip that he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue without losing votes.
The upcoming season of The Boys will also see Karl Urban (Billy Butcher), Erin Moriarty (Annie January/Starlight), Jack Quaid (Hughie Campbell), Chace Crawford (The Deep) and Laz Alonso (Marvin T. “Mother’s” Milk). The season also marks the debut of Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s mysterious character and the return of Jensen Ackles’ Soldier Boy after featuring in Season 3.
The Boys Will Have a Fifth Season
Prime Video recently renewed The Boys for a fifth season, with Kripke revealing Season 5 is in early development. Kripke also claims to know how The Boys will end, though he’s unsure how many more seasons it will last.
The Boys Season 4 premieres via Prime Video on Jun. 13.