The Boys season 4: Prime Video release date, trailer, cast list, plot synopsis, and more
The Boys season 4 brings uncontrolled chaos to Prime Video
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
- Out now on Prime Video- Official trailers released in December 2023 and May 2024- Plot synopsis unveiled- Key cast members will return- New actors added to the ensemble series in October 2022- Picks up after the events of season 3 and Gen V season 1- Fifth season is being written and will be the main show’s last entry- Will set up story threads for Gen V season 2
It’s been a long two-year wait, butThe Boysseason 4 has finally landed on our screens. So, is the satirical superhero show’s latest entry worth watching onPrime Video? You’ll need to read ourspoiler-light review ofThe Boysseason 4to see what we thought of its first three episodes. Once you’re done, we suspect you’ll want to learn even more about what’s in store forThe Boys' new season, too.
Below, you’ll find a comprehensive round-up of everything we know about one of thebest Prime Video shows' return, including its release schedule, full cast list, plot details, its ties to spin-off seriesGen V, and the popular R-rated show’s future.Major spoilers followforThe Boysseason 3 andGen Vseason 1 on one of the world’sbest streaming services.Potential season 4 spoilers are also discussed.
The Boys season 4 release date
Clearing up the release schedule for anyone askin…First three episodes of Season 4 arrive Thursday, then one per week after that through July 18.Here’s an image from each of the first three with zero added fuckin context. pic.twitter.com/3lO3Q5PqSbJune 9, 2024
The Boysseason 4 debuted on Amazon’s main streamer on Thursday, June 13. As the above X/Twitter post revealed, the first three episodes were released on launch day. The other five were released weekly up to the season finale on July 18.
The Boys season 4 trailers
The Boysseason 4’s official trailer arrived in early May, and itrevealed more ties to spin-off showGen V, Supe-d up farm animals, and a battle for America’s soul.
Missed season 4’s first trailer, whichteased the introduction of new Supes, Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s mysterious character, and a fan-based showdown between Homelander and Starlightin December 2023? Watch it below:
The Boys season 4 cast
Major spoilers follow for The Boys season 3.
Here’s the confirmed cast forThe Boysseason 4:
Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.
Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.
Of the above, everyone up to including Crovetti have featured heavily throughout the show’s first three seasons.
The only curious inclusion among that contingent is Mitchell’s Black Noir, who was murdered by Homelander inThe Boysseason 3 finale. Speaking toEntertainment Weekly(EW), Kripke teased Mitchell will be back as Black Noir 2.0, which was made official in season 4’s two trailers. Both sets of footage also confirmed that Neuman’s daughter Zoe (Olivia Morandin) will show up following her season 3 debut.
Joining the cast in major roles are Valorie Curry (Veronica Mars) and Susan Heyward (Orange Is the New Black) as Firecracker and Sister Sage. This pair are the Seven’s newest members and wholly original creations for the TV adaptation – indeed, neither character exists in Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s graphic novel series, which the show is based on.
Meet Sage. She’s already a thousand steps ahead of you.And let’s just say Firecracker has a short fuse. pic.twitter.com/Ci3li8j1LJOctober 10, 2022
Of Sage’s superpower – being the smartest person on the planet – Kripke toldEW: “A lot of superhero worlds have that character. Whereas most of them are usually really reedy white dudes, we wanted a Black woman who was raised in a low socioeconomic area, so no one f*****g listens to her. It’s both commentary and satirical that you have literally the smartest person in the world that could cure all of society’s ills, but she just can’t get anyone to listen to her. So then she becomes a bitter misanthrope.”
As for Curry’s gun-toting extremist,The Boys' showrunner added: “Firecracker represents both members of the conspiracy-minded movements and the super extreme right-wing news media. That character has some surprising backstory that connects her to some of the characters in our world that it was just interesting to bring in one of those pistol-packing ‘I shot my puppies’ type of characters.”
Fresh from his love-to-hate portrayal ofThe Walking Dead’s Negan in AMC’s TV adaptation of that comic series,Jeffrey Dean Morgan has also been cast inThe Boysseason 4. He appears in both trailers, but we can’t (or, rather, won’t) spoil who’s playing until season 4 airs.
No, we ain’t tellin ya anything besides he wears a suit and swears like a sailor pic.twitter.com/OTeRE8k1U7December 2, 2023
Meanwhile, nyone hoping to see Jensen Ackles' Soldier Boy again might be disappointed that he won’t be back (more on why in the next section). That said, the formerSupernaturalstaris eager to reprise the role of Homelander’s dadand human-based weapon of mass destruction. After his dream-based cameo appearance inGen V, we’re desperate to see Ackles' fan-favorite character return.
Speaking ofGen V, Cate (Maddie Phillips) and Sam (Asa Germann) will appear. The pair were invited to Vought’s headquarters in the spin-offs’s season 1 finale – you can read more details on why they were in ourGen Vseason 1 ending explained article. Lastly,Kripke has already teased Tek Knight’s possible involvementin the main show’s next installment – he also made his live-action debut inGen Vseason 1, so expect to see him make a cameo at the very least.
The Boys season 4 story synopsis and speculation
Here’sThe Boysseason 4’s official story synopsis: “The world is on the brink. Victoria Neuman is closer than ever to the Oval Office and under the muscly thumb of Homelander, who is consolidating his power. Butcher, with only months to live, has lost Becca’s son as well as his job as The Boys’ leader. The rest of the team are fed up with his lies. With the stakes higher than ever, they have to find a way to work together and save the world before it’s too late.”
The Boysis renowned for being a boundary-pushing TV show from gore, sex, and outrageously funny perspectives, and it sounds like season 4 will be no different. Speaking toCollider, Usher – who plays A-Train – says the level of carnage in season 4 was “a surprise to everyone”. Kripke also tweeted there’s a wildly over-the-top sequence in season 4 that’s “easily a top 5 moment” for him. Kripke’s comments were echoed by producer Stephan Fleet, who suggests it contains a moment that’s “the most disgusting thing I have seen working in this business thus far.”
Major spoilers follow for The Boys seasons 2 and 3, plus Gen V season 1.
Deep sigh pic.twitter.com/EfuKGyY48UMay 4, 2024
The Boysseason 3 left off with Homelander taking Ryan – his superpowered son – under his autocratic wing following the three-way battle between Homelander, the Boys, and Soldier Boy. After Homelander brutally murders a Starlight fan (they throw a drink at Ryan during a political rally) and the crowd erupts with delight, the smiles that spread across Homelander and Ryan’s faces paint a very unsettling picture for what’s to come.
Is Homelander about to raise Ryan as his equally callous, unhinged successor? In a chat withIGN, Kripke wouldn’t say, but suggested events in season 4 will impact Ryan’s fractious relationship with Billy. Remember, Ryan is the illegitimate love child of Homelander and Billy’s deceased ex-wife Becca. At the end of season 2, Billy promised a dying Becca he’d protect Ryan in her absence. However, Billy alienates Ryan over the course of season 3, leading Ryan to disown Billy and seek solace with his biological dad.
Season 4, then, should see Billy and Homelander battle for Ryan’s soul. If Billy wins, his team could have their own Homelander who can go up against his similarly superpowered father. If Homelander is victorious, there may be no stopping the pair from dictatorially ruling the US – and maybe even the world.
Try not to fall out of your chair, but Hughie gets covered in blood this season pic.twitter.com/wucbEldrDQMay 4, 2024
Ryan won’t be the only weapon Homelander has heading into season 4. He’s still in command of the Seven, which will be back to near-full strength with Sage, Firecracker, and Noir 2.0 joining him, The Deep, and A-Train on the roster.
Homelander has some issues to contend with, though.Gen Vseason 1 revealed he’ll stand trial for murdering the aforementioned Starlight fan. Additionally, the spin-off confirmed the existence of a Supe-killing virus, which is now in Victoria Neuman’s possession. AsGen Vand the X/Twitter post below (which contains some important timeline and story information) revealed, Billy is also aware of the virus, so it’s possible he’ll try to acquire it to wipe out Supes everywhere. Well, as long as he can prevent it from hurting or killing Ryan (remember, he’s still trying to keep his promise to Becca to keep Ryan safe).
While ya wait for 2024, here’s what we can say about Season 4 so far…- Timeline wise, it takes place about a month after the events of the @genv finale.- Butcher knows about the virus. Do with that lil piece of intel what ya will.- Homelander will stand trial for lasering… pic.twitter.com/UswySuFYF7November 8, 2023
Speaking of Billy, he’s on borrowed time. In season 3, he became addicted to V24, an experimental Vought-developed serum that grants its user superpowers for a 24-hour period. Unfortunately, V24 causes a highly aggressive form of cancer to develop in its host. In short: Billy only has 12 to 18 months left to live. True to form, he decides to keep his diagnosis secret from the rest of the group, which isn’t a great idea, in our view.
-‘Absolutely terrifying’:The Boysseason 4 viewers are in shock over ‘unhinged’ Homelander scenes in episode 4-The Boysviewers have a new season 4 fan theory after episode 5’s release on Prime Video, and I think they’re right
But that’s an issue for later. Heading into season 4, Billy has two priorities: the aforementioned Homelander and Ryan problem, which we’ve already covered, and thwarting Neuman.
In season 2’s final episode, Neuman was revealed as a secret Supe, who possesses the ability to blow up peoples' heads. Hughie, who was hired by Neuman when the Boys temporarily disbanded in season 2’s final episode, learns about this in season 3, digs into her past, and discovers Neuman is the adopted daughter of Stan Edgar. Vought’s former CEO helped Neuman’s political rise to power before she betrayed him in season 3, too.
With so much going on in season 3, the gang were side-tracked by more pressing issues (namely, Homelander and Soldier Boy). This allowed Neuman to infiltrate US Presidential candidate Robert Singer’s – aka Dakota Bob – camp and become his running mate. You know, after Homelander forced The Deep to kill Singer’s former Vice Presidential candidate Lamar Bishop.
In season 3’s final scene, the titular gang learns she’s seemingly in cahoots with Homelander, leading Billy to install Neuman as their next target. Expect Neuman to be one of the individuals that the group target in season 4’s finale episode, aka ‘Assassination Run’.
“I don’t think it’s much of a spoiler to say that we’re definitely working towards a Dakota Bob presidency with Neuman as a secret Vought plant in the vice presidency, and all the complications that ensue from that,” Kripke toldGameSpot. “That obviously was probably Garth’s [Ennis] biggest endgame story. Again, it’s not a spoiler to say that. You’ve seen us maneuver the chess pieces into that place so we can start telling that story.”
Billy and company don’t just have the superpowered Kimiko at their disposal now, either. They could break out the imprisonedGen Vstudent Supes Marie, Jordan, and Emma – who were locked up in the spin-off’s season 1 finale – and convince them to join their cause, especially after Homelander put them there. It seems Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s mystery character wants to help Billy and company, too, based on what the trailers tease. Regardless of whether the young Supes join The Boys or not, Kripke has said (perTotal Film) that audiences don’t need to watch Gen V to understand what happens inThe Boysseason 4.
Elsewhere, Annie January/Starlight defected from the Seven to join the titular group in season 3’s final episode. However, with Homelander killing one of her fans, Annie could find her loyalties to her fanbase and The Boys tested like never before. The escalating conflict between them was one of the most fascinating subplots in season 3, and we’ll certainly see more of them lock horns again in season 4. She’ll learn how to master her flying power, which she does in the comics, too, according to Kripke (perVariety).
Now that the S4 teaser is out, let’s recap what we know, shall we?- Homelander is standing trial and taking a splatter paint class. One of those statements is true.- Butcher has six months to live, and still knows about that virus being cooked at Godolkin.- Neuman is closer… pic.twitter.com/PDsASYhkdSDecember 4, 2023
And what of Soldier Boy? Following season 3’s climactic battle, Ackles' nuclear-powered human weapon was put back on ice by the FBI. Unless Homelander or The Boys get truly desperate and need him to fight for their cause, we suspect that’s where he’ll stay.
There are plenty of storylinesThe Boyscan adapt from Ennis and Robertson’s graphic novel series in season 4, but we won’t spoil anything else. We’ll leave the last word for Kripke, who toldInsiderthat fans shouldn’t worry about the possibility of Homelander subversively winning the day inThe Boysseason 4 or the wider context of the series.
“The story’s not over,” he said. “I’ll make a pledge to you right now that I will not end this series with Homelander winning. So, you can hold me to that.”
Will The Boys return after season 4?
Fact Check: True! #TheBoys Writers are already hard at work in the writer’s room. Love these sickos. #TheBoysTV @TheBoysTV https://t.co/luhm9VGmNMMay 14, 2024
Yes.The Boysseason 5 was announced in mid-May, which comes some time after Kripke committed to the fact thatseason 4 wouldn’t be the show’s final entry. Read ourexplainer article onThe Boysseason 4’s endingfor more details on how it sets up season 5.
As for how many more seasons there’ll be, Kripke toldInverse(on May 28) that he wouldn’t comment on when it might end. Those comments came over three years after he suggestedThe Boyswould be done after five seasons.
#TheBoys Season 4 Premiere Week is a good time to announce: Season 5 will be the Final Season! Always my plan, I just had to be cagey till I got the final OK from Vought. Thrilled to bring the story to a gory, epic, moist climax. Watch Season 4 in 2 DAYS, cause the end has begun! pic.twitter.com/3p7Wt4jGA6June 11, 2024
Just two weeks later on June 11, however, Kripke took to X/Twitter (see above) to reveal that season 5wouldbe the show’s last installment, adding: “[It was] always my plan, I just had to be cagey till I got the final OK from Vought. Thrilled to bring the story to a gory, epic, moist climax.”
Attention all God U students, Gen V is officially coming back for Season ✌️ pic.twitter.com/cyUuAPq97kOctober 19, 2023
As the X/Twitter post above also confirmed,Gen Vseason 2 is on the way. It’ll follow on fromThe Boysseason 4, so storylines in the main show will carry over into – and impact – the live-action spin-off.
However, following the shock passing of Chance Perdomo, who played Andre inGen V, in March, season 2’s development was put on hold. Work has since restarted on the series' sophomore season, with a statement on the show’s X/Twitter account (see below) confirming that key storylines will be rewritten in the wake of Perdomo’s death. Andre won’t be recast, either, as confirmed by Kripke (viaTVLine).
pic.twitter.com/xMUPkY7gq3May 5, 2024
Lastly, Seth Rogen, one ofThe Boys' executive producers, hopesAmazonwill renew its animated spin-off –The Boys Presents: Diabolical, which debuted in March 2022 – for a second season. Speaking toCollider, Rogen confirmed Amazon had bought some scripts for a second season of the animated anthology series, but there’s no word on if they’ll be produced. Once we learn more, we’ll update you.
For more Prime Video TV-based coverage, read our guides onThe Rings of Powerseason 2,Falloutseason 2,Invincibleseason 3, andBlade Runner 2099.
As TechRadar’s senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You’ll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.
An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as thisMoon Knight TV spot.
Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across.
Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.
4 spy shows on Prime Video with over 80% on Rotten Tomatoes
Prime Video’s smart new X-Ray feature is finally a good reason to add AI to streaming
MacBook Air OLED reportedly delayed until at least 2028 – here’s why
