Summary
The Boys’first four seasons have been full of exciting, gory moments, but despite all the anticipation heading into its fourth season, Eric Kripke’s history withSupernaturalhas me worried about its future. When Amazon first launchedThe Boysback in 2019, I was hooked. The realistic yet violent portrayal of superheroes offered some truly fresh TV, leaving me stunned at how graphic and unfiltered it was compared to the likes of Marvel and DC. Ever since the first season, I’ve looked forward to every episode’s premiere, but the direction of the series has me concerned.
The Boysseason 4 will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on June 03, 2025.
Withnews aboutThe Boysseason 4releasing frequently, the wait for TV’s best band of misfits to return gets shorter and shorter, yetThe Boys' time on our screens looks like it has no end in sight.Eric Kripke comparedThe Boys' future withSupernatural, suggesting he couldn’t have been more wrong about his five-season plan, and while more content from one of my favorite shows should be a good thing, I can’t help but be concerned about these comments, especially afterSupernatural’s ending.
The Boys' Inevitable Season 5 Renewal Creates A Stakes Problem For The Show
Prime Video’s The Boys was unsurprisingly renewed for a fifth season which creates a stakes problem ahead of the show’s return in June.
Supernatural Declined After Going Beyond Its Original 5-Season Plan
The Show Struggled To Maintain Its Quality As Time Went On
Despite how popularSupernaturalwas during its glory days, it definitely didn’t hold up for all 15 seasons.The drama series still had some excellent episodes even in its later years, but it wasn’t the show we came to know and love during the mid-2000s. Given it went on for over 300 episodes,Supernatural’s series finalewas never going to satisfy everyone, but while I can forgive its final episodes, I can’t forgive it going on way longer than it needed to.
The fact that the show managed to keep Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki for all 15 seasons still blows me away, but dragging the show in for this long was always going to lead to other actor departures and viewer fatigue, which is hard to overcome.Supernaturalmay not have had the same decline as othershows that went on too longlikeThe Walking DeadorThe Big Bang Theory, but it still suffered from overstaying its welcome, which is frustrating considering how strongly it could have ended.
While I don’t thinkSupernaturalhas a bad legacy, the series isn’t as admirable as other shows that stopped at the right time, even when they still had more to offer. Kripke lovedSupernaturaljust as much as the fans did, but knowing when it’s time to say goodbye is important, and he clearly struggles with this. I still holdSupernaturalin high esteem and think it should be remembered for its qualities, but it’s impossible to ignore the show’s decline in its later years, and I fear Kripke may repeat the same history withThe Boys.
The Boys Going Beyond Season 5 Could End Up Hurting The Show
The Boys' Story Doesn’t Need To Last Much Longer
The idea ofThe Boysgoing beyond season 5 sounds good on paper as a huge fan of the series, but it also risks hurting the show. Kripke originally had a five-season plan forThe Boys- just likeSupernatural- but it seems the showrunner has reversed his decision, indicating that it will go for much longer. WithGen Vbeing renewed for season 2, this news aboutThe Boysisn’t surprising as there is far too much money to be made given the series' popularity, but I’m fearful that this could hurt its quality.
Seasons 1 and 2 ofThe Boysare universally popular,Gen Vhad a great reception, and whileThe Boys Presents: Diabolicalis an acquired taste, I think a mostly non-canon spinoff series warrants a place in the franchise. However,The Boysseason 3 is the first time the tide started to shift on the hit superhero show. Personally, I thought season 3 was great. The introduction of Soldier Boy, Butcher finally fighting Homelander, and Black Noir’s unique story all provided the gripping content that made me fall in love withThe Boys, but not everyone felt the same way.
The Boysseason 3’s finale proved to be incredibly divisive, starting an interesting dialogue about the show as a whole.
The Boys' latest installment faced some criticism for being too repetitiveand failing to achieve much from a narrative perspective. Most notably,The Boysseason 3’s finale proved to be incredibly divisive, starting an interesting dialogue about the show as a whole. I still feel the series has plenty of stories to tell, and I’m convinced the political battle between Homelander and Starlight will be one ofThe Boys' best arcs yet, but another 10 seasons of Prime Video’s superhero show fills me with dread, and clearly, a lot of viewers would check out long before the finale.
Of course, there is no guarantee that Kripke plans on repeating his 15Supernaturalseasons withThe Boys, but changing his original plan definitely poses a risk of the show burning out. After just three seasons, concerns are already beginning about its future, and this looks destined to continue.Even if season 4 provides us with some of the best scenes and interactions yet, it must achieve more story progression than season 3; otherwise,The Boys' post-season 5 future could be troubling.
We want to see the story conclude, and we want to see Homelander get what’s coming to him, but waiting season after season for a tiny bit of progress will turn even its biggest fans away, creating a potential problem forThe Boysseason 6 and beyond.
Every Supernatural Actor In The Boys
Supernatural and The Boys share a creator in the form of Eric Kripke, but the two popular shows also share several of the same actors.
How The Boys Running For Longer Could Work
The TV Adaptation Has Been Much Stronger Than The Comics & Could Continue To Make Some Major Changes
Despite the problems facingThe Boys' future, the show going on longer could still work in its favor.Amazon’s eight-episode format limits how many storylines can be explored in a single season, meaning more seasons could prevent the show from having a rushed conclusion. AlthoughSupernaturalsuffered from going on too long, I’ve watched plenty of shows with finales that are completely rushed, leading to a mediocre sendoff, andThe Boysdeserves better than this kind of fate. Instead, adding a few extra seasons could give it the breathing room it needs to finish its story properly.
WithGen Vstill to have another season andThe Boys: Mexicoarriving in the future,The Boyssticking around is beneficial for these spinoffs, providing another reason for the main show to stick around.
Compared to the comic series, Prime Video’sThe Boyshas been way better, and these changes could allow the story to end differently.The Boyswould be better off avoiding the comic endingas it proved to be controversial, and if it does go down a different path, there is no telling how long the franchise could go on. WithGen Vstill to have another season andThe Boys: Mexicoarriving in the future,The Boyssticking around is beneficial for these spinoffs, providing another reason for the main show to stick around.
While I don’t want to seeThe Boysbecome anotherSupernatural, I’d hate for it to end too soon and miss out on some potentially great stories. With the likes of Jeffrey Dean Morgan joining the series, I’m still super enthusiastic about season 4, and as long as Kripke still has some great ideas, I’m here for the ride. However, once the show begins to lose momentum,The Boysneed to wrap things up before it becomes a shadow of its former self.
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The Boys
The Boys is a gritty and subversive take on the superhero genre, focusing on a group of vigilantes who confront powerful superheroes abusing their abilities, exploring themes of corruption and moral ambiguity in a world where heroes are not always what they seem.
