“The Boys,” is a satirical superhero drama which has gained massive popularity over its four season run mostly because of its gruesome violence and disturbing portrayal of heroes. Although it has spawned multiple spin off shows, comics, and other media with more releasing in the future, the creator and showrunner Eric Kripke has decided to end the show after its fifth season. Kripke announced this on his social media in June of 2024, during the release of season four of the show. With the final season premiering this April, fans are wondering if the show will go through with this statement, and what will happen with the franchise.
Homelander in a promotional photo for “The Boys,” also later used as Eric Kripke’s profile picture on X.com. (Photo By: Prime)
In an Entertainment Weekly interview, Kripke stated that he always had a plan to make the show a strict five seasons, saying that “It’s enough to tell the story but also bring it to a climax without wearing out its welcome.” Famously, Kripke was the showrunner for the show “Supernatural,” which he also had a five season plan for. After the five seasons were released, Kripke stepped back to be a producer on the show, and the series continued for another ten years. Although “The Boys” could realistically continue for much longer than planned like “Supernatural” did, Kripke said he was “Thrilled to bring the story to a gory, epic, moist climax,” giving the implication that the finale will not leave any stories open for future seasons. Many people seem to like the plan because of the fear of the show losing quality and running out of ideas, especially with how complex it is.
“The Boys” is well known for its over-the-top violence and dark parallels to reality. Numerous times, the show has represented how corporate influence can manipulate media and public perceptions in favor of celebrities. The creators and fans have shown how the main antagonist, Homelander, and his blindly devoted followers have an almost cult-like loyalty that could be meant to mirror realistic political figures. Although people see him publicly as a superhero, privately he does not care about anything other than himself and his ego, and uses his powers to do whatever he wants. With the final season of the show most likely being the end of Homelander’s storyline, it is possible that the show will go all out on his cruelty and corruption. Although Homelander has committed murder and abuse publicly numerous times, the writers will most likely show how unstoppable his public figure is in the eyes of his worshiping fans. It is possible that Homelander and the other super powered antagonists may cause many main character deaths, and be praised for it.
Although the exciting finale of “The Boys” will technically be a conclusion to the series, there are still many spin off shows that could involve main characters. For example, the show about the super powered college, “Gen V,” will most likely continue on past its two seasons and include many pre-established characters from the main show. The same could be said for the two shows currently in production, “Vought Rising” and “The Boys: Mexico,” however, both may leave the main show alone and create their own cast of characters instead. Because of this, these final episodes could be the last time fans see the beloved characters they have spent five seasons with.
