4 Questions We Hope Get Answered In Season 4 of "The Boys"!

In 2022, audiences were gifted yet another electrifying end to a season of Prime Video's superhero satire series "The Boys". From a super-powered showdown with the menacing Soldier Boy, characters twisting and changing alliances, and the now-iconic ending scene sporting Homelander’s new morals, the season finale left audiences at the edge of their seats with their jaws on the floor. Throughout its run so far, "The Boys" has proven itself to be the superhero show that stands out among the rest; with political undertones, raunchy scenes of hilarity and outright disgust, and a driving story packed with drama and nail-biting cliffhangers.

With the recent reveal of the cast and crew wrapping Season 4, let’s revisit some of the biggest questions we were left with in the Season 3 finale of "The Boys"!

1. The Fate of Hughie and Butcher

Throughout the 3rd season of "The Boys", Hughie (Jack Quaid) and Butcher (Karl Urban) dabbled in the classified substance known as Temp V, a special drug that provides non-superpowered citizens with temporary superpowers for a short span of time. This drug proves helpful during the season, as Billy Butcher’s newfound laser vision helped interrogate baddies and evened the playing field as the fearless leader went toe-to-toe with menacing super-powered threats. Even the mild-mannered protagonist Hughie Campbell received the power of teleportation and fast-healing, causing a growth in his ego as he struggled with the price of power. Toward the end of the season, it was revealed that Temp V has fatal side effects over prolonged use. With such a helpful edge against their superpowered foes, what will be the future for Temp V going forward in the series? Audiences are also left to wonder about the fate of fan favorites Butcher and Hughie and their frequent use of the super-powered drug in the past season. Are there other side effects of Temp V that will resurface during the showdowns in the upcoming season? How close to death are Butcher and Hughie by the end of the season?

2. The Fall of Soldier Boy

For many viewers of the series, the introduction of the 3rd season’s new Big Bad, Jensen Ackles’s Soldier Boy, served as the rise of a new threat for the rebellious team and a new player in the power struggle that overarches through the series. Over the course of the season, the Boys follow Soldier Boy on his warpath of revenge, as the jilted veteran travels across the country to take down and eliminate the surviving members of his former superhero team, Payback. As the 3rd season unfolds, it is revealed that Soldier Boy is the father of the villainous Homelander (Anthony Starr). This reveal throws a wrench into the Boys’ plans as they stress their need for a force that could combat Homelander’s incredible strength. During the climactic fight in Vought Tower, alliances switch and betrayals are solidified, ending in Queen Maeve’s (Dominique McElligott) “sacrifice” as she tackles an exploding Soldier Boy off the tower. In the aftermath of the melee, the former Deputy Director of the CIA, Grace Mallory (Laila Robins), is shown placing Soldier Boy back in a sleeping pod. But the question remains: How long will Soldier Boy lay dormant? Could Homelander have plans to free Soldier Boy and reunite with his father? Mallory’s act of putting Soldier Boy to rest could also hint at the CIA’s possible plans involving the super-powered maniac in the future...

3. Ryan, the Son of Homelander

Fans of the superhero series will remember the jaw-dropping reveal of Homelander’s son, Ryan, from the ending of the Season 1 finale. From the beginning, fans have speculated on the wavering path ahead of Ryan as a young super-powered boy being raised in such a tumultuous time in the violent world of "The Boys". Throughout the series, Ryan has switched alliances, being raised with differing morals belonging to his 2 main guardians: the Machiavellian views of his father Homelander, and the somewhat pure values of his surrogate father, Billy Butcher. Coming up on the heels of the 4th season of the series, fans can only look to the final scene of the Season 3 finale. During this scene, Homelander instantly lasers down an opposing protestor at a political rally held by Ryan’s stepfather. As the score’s violins climb and fall, Homelander begins to laugh with his arm tightly around Ryan, causing Ryan to crack a slight smile. With this small yet significant sign of approval from Ryan at bloodshed, audiences are left to wonder about the future of the young superhero. Is all hope truly lost for Ryan? Has he truly turned to join his father in whatever dastardly plans he has for the future? For now, we can only sit and wait until the anticipated fourth season. 

4. Homelander’s Rise to Power

The final frame of the final episode of the 3d season, entitled: “The Instant White-Hot Wild”, featured one of the wildest scenes in the entire series thus far, as Homelander decapitates an opposing protester at one of his “rallies”. After the seminal villain lasers this lone opposer, the surrounding crowd falls silent. One-by-one, Homelander’s supporters begin to cheer, encouraging his violent displays of power and feeding into the psychopathic tyrant’s ego. Homelander feels this twisted sense of “acceptance” and begins to smile, slowly breaking into a chuckle. During this internet-breaking scene, Christopher Lennertz’s “Homelander’s Theme” begins with its tension-filled violins that rise and fall, mimicking the leader’s loose grip on sanity. Could this show-stopping final scene possibly result in Homelander building a new super-powered political group? The series has also hinted at the waning support between Vought’s superheroes and their involvement in political matters. With an ending solidifying Homelander’s support from a wide political group, the series’ 4th season definitely has the opportunity to tackle more political satire through Homelander’s ties to patriotism and his future path of violence. 

What are some of your predictions for the 4th season of "The Boys"? What are some of your favorite moments from Season 3?