“The Boys” Season 5, which will be the final season, is expected to premiere in 2026. Filming began in November 2024 and will continue through mid-2025. After years of intense chaos, political satire, and surprising twists, the series is officially coming to an end.
Series creator Eric Kripke has confirmed that the upcoming fifth season will serve as the final chapter in the popular Prime Video series. The creative team is currently at work, promising a thrilling send-off for fans.
Here’s a breakdown of what we know about the final season:
- Release Timing: While there’s no exact release date, the showrunner, Eric Kripke, has indicated that filming will wrap in mid-2025, suggesting a 2026 release.
- Final Season: “The Boys” season 5 will be the final installment of the series.
- Filming: Filming began in November 2024 and is expected to continue through mid-2025.
- Episode Count: The final season will consist of eight episodes, like previous seasons.
- Cast: The returning cast members include Jack Quaid, Karen Fukuhara, Laz Alonso, and Tomer Capone.
- New Cast Members: Misha Collins, Jared Padalecki, and Jensen Ackles are joining the cast for season 5.
- Vought Rising: In addition to “The Boys” season 5, a prequel series titled “Vought Rising” has been announced.
With that announcement, now is the perfect time to look back at how we got here. From Billy Butcher’s warpath to Homelander’s descent into madness, here’s a breakdown of everything that’s happened so far.
The Boys: Season Timeline
- Season 1: July 2019
- Season 2: September 2020
- Season 3: June 2022
- Season 4: 2024 (Date TBD)
- Season 5: 2026 (Planned)
Overall Show Recap
“The Boys” is a satirical superhero series set in a world where superpowered individuals, known as “Supes,” are public figures managed by the powerful corporation Vought International. While they are marketed as heroes, most Supes are deeply flawed, corrupt, and often dangerous, abusing their powers for personal gain.
The central conflict revolves around two groups:
The Boys: A team of vigilantes determined to expose the truth about Vought and bring down corrupt Supes. The original members include:
- Billy Butcher: A former CIA operative with a deep-seated hatred for all Supes, driven by the belief that Homelander raped and caused the death of his wife, Becca. He is ruthless, cunning, and willing to go to extreme lengths to achieve his goals.
- Hughie Campbell: A mild-mannered electronics salesman who joins the Boys after his girlfriend is accidentally killed by the speedster Supe A-Train. He initially serves as the audience’s entry point into the dark reality of the superhero world and grapples with the morality of the Boys’ methods.
- Mother’s Milk (MM): A former Marine medic and intelligence operative with obsessive-compulsive disorder. He is the pragmatic and moral compass of the group, often clashing with Butcher’s extreme tactics. His personal vendetta stems from Soldier Boy causing his grandfather’s death.
- Frenchie: A skilled but eccentric weapons expert and tactician with a troubled past. He has a knack for unconventional solutions and forms a close bond with Kimiko.
- Kimiko Miyashiro (The Female): A mute woman with enhanced strength and healing abilities, involuntarily injected with Compound V. Initially feral, she develops a strong connection with Frenchie and becomes a formidable member of the team.
The Seven: Vought International’s premier superhero team, a parody of DC Comics’ Justice League. Its key members include:
- Homelander: The seemingly all-American and most powerful Supe, a twisted Superman figure. Beneath his heroic facade, he is a narcissistic, unstable, and sociopathic individual with a desperate need for public adoration and a disturbing Oedipal complex with Vought’s former VP of Hero Management, Madelyn Stillwell.
- Queen Maeve: A powerful and cynical warrior, similar to Wonder Woman. Once idealistic, she has become disillusioned with Vought and Homelander’s corruption and often secretly aids the Boys. She had a past romantic relationship with Homelander.
- A-Train: A speedster, similar to The Flash, who is initially a member of the Seven. His reckless actions, including the accidental killing of Hughie’s girlfriend while high on Compound V, set the series’ events in motion. He struggles with addiction and maintaining his position.
- The Deep: An aquatic hero akin to Aquaman. He is insecure and desperate for fame and acceptance, leading him to commit sexual assault in the first season, resulting in his temporary expulsion from the Seven. He later becomes involved with a cult.
- Starlight (Annie January): A young and genuinely idealistic heroine with light-based powers who joins the Seven at the beginning of the series. She quickly becomes disillusioned by the corruption within Vought and secretly allies herself with the Boys, developing a romantic relationship with Hughie.
- Black Noir: A silent and highly skilled martial artist with enhanced strength. His face is always covered, and he has a mysterious past tied to Soldier Boy.
- Translucent: A Supe with the ability to turn invisible. He is killed early in the first season by the Boys.
Key Storylines and Developments:
- Season 1: Hughie joins the Boys seeking revenge for Robin’s death. The team works to uncover Vought’s secrets, including the fact that Supes are created through a manufactured compound called Compound V, rather than being born with their powers. Starlight joins the Seven and witnesses their corruption firsthand, leading her to become a mole for the Boys. Butcher discovers that his wife Becca is alive and raising Homelander’s son, Ryan.
- Season 2: The Boys are fugitives, hunted by Vought. They continue their fight to expose the company’s misdeeds, focusing on the new Supe, Stormfront. Initially appearing progressive, Stormfront is revealed to be a centuries-old Nazi with a racist agenda, aiming to create a white supremacist Supe army. Butcher grapples with the revelation of Becca and his conflicted feelings towards Ryan. The season culminates in a battle where Stormfront is defeated (but survives with severe injuries), and Becca tragically dies protecting Ryan. Butcher takes Ryan into hiding.
- Season 3: A year after the events of Season 2, the Boys are working under the Federal Bureau of Superhuman Affairs, led by Victoria Neuman (a secret head-exploding Supe). Butcher, desperate to level the playing field against Homelander, uses a temporary version of Compound V, granting him temporary superpowers. The season introduces Soldier Boy, a powerful and volatile Supe from the past, who Butcher believes can help defeat Homelander. However, Soldier Boy has his own agenda and a complicated history with Homelander (revealed to be his son). The season culminates in a chaotic confrontation involving Homelander, Soldier Boy, and the Boys, leaving Maeve depowered and Soldier Boy contained. Homelander publicly introduces Ryan as his son and murders a civilian in broad daylight, solidifying his descent into villainy and gaining a disturbing level of public support.
- Season 4 (Ongoing): Six months after Soldier Boy’s defeat, Butcher is dying due to his prolonged use of Temp V and has lost Ryan. Victoria Neuman is now running for Vice President, further consolidating Supe influence in the government under Homelander’s thumb. The Boys are working with the CIA to stop Neuman. New Supes, including Sister Sage and Firecracker, are introduced, further complicating the political landscape and posing new threats. Homelander’s grip on his followers intensifies, and the world teeters on the brink of chaos.
Overall Themes:
“The Boys” explores themes of power, corruption, celebrity culture, corporate greed, and the dangers of unchecked authority. It subverts the traditional superhero narrative by portraying superpowered individuals as flawed and often monstrous beings, and the “heroes” as morally ambiguous vigilantes fighting fire with fire. The show is known for its extreme violence, dark humor, and sharp social commentary.
Season 1 Recap: Heroes Are the Villains
The series kicked off with a brutal wake-up call: superheroes, or “supes,” aren’t who we think they are. After Hughie Campbell’s girlfriend is accidentally killed by A-Train, he’s recruited by Billy Butcher into a covert team taking down Vought International — the corrupt corporation behind The Seven.
Highlights:
- The Seven are introduced, including Homelander, Queen Maeve, and Starlight.
- Butcher’s vendetta against Homelander is revealed.
- Compound V, the drug that gives people superpowers, is exposed as Vought’s dark secret.
Season 2 Recap: Stormfront, Supe Politics, and Civil War
Season 2 raised the stakes by bringing in Stormfront, a Nazi-era supe with a chilling agenda. Vought leaned into political manipulation, turning Homelander into a media darling while chaos brewed beneath the surface.
Highlights:
- Stormfront joins The Seven and forms a deadly alliance with Homelander.
- The Boys discover Vought’s experiments and political ambitions.
- The season ends with Stormfront defeated, and Congresswoman Victoria Neuman revealed as a secret supe with head-exploding powers.
Season 3 Recap: Soldier Boy, Herogasm, and the Rise of Temp V
Season 3 of The Boys premiered on June 3, 2022, on Amazon Prime Video. With the first three episodes dropping at once and the rest following weekly, this season leaned even harder into its unhinged storytelling.
The search for a weapon to kill Homelander leads to the discovery of Soldier Boy (played by Jensen Ackles), a dark parody of Captain America with the power to neutralize other supes. The team experiments with Temp V, a drug that grants superpowers for 24 hours — but at a cost.
Key Developments:
- Butcher and Hughie use Temp V, blurring moral lines.
- Herogasm, one of the comic’s most infamous events, is brought to life in all its NSFW glory.
- Soldier Boy’s past and his ties to Homelander shift the entire power dynamic.
- Homelander grows increasingly unstable, setting up the show’s darkest phase yet.
Season 4 Recap: Collateral Damage and Political Power Plays
By the time The Boys reached Season 4, the war between supes and humans had become full-on ideological warfare. With Homelander’s public persona increasingly untouchable, Vought leaned into nationalism and fear-mongering — all while key players on both sides fractured under the weight of past decisions.
The season focused heavily on political manipulation, legacy, and the ticking clock of Compound V’s long-term effects.
Highlights:
- Victoria Neuman’s Rise: Neuman made a major leap into the political spotlight, continuing her campaign for Vice President. Her terrifying ability to pop heads — now known to a select few — made her the most dangerous person in the country.
- Ryan’s Loyalty Tested: Homelander grew closer to Ryan, Becca’s son, raising alarms among Butcher and the team. Ryan’s struggle between two father figures added emotional stakes to the larger conflict.
- Butcher’s Health Crisis: After abusing Temp V in Season 3, Butcher now faced a terminal prognosis. With limited time left, his choices became increasingly desperate and self-destructive.
- The Boys Fracture Further: Tensions between Butcher, Hughie, and Starlight erupted. Starlight finally broke from her undercover role and began operating as a true public figure for good, while Hughie struggled with guilt over past decisions.
- Homelander’s Cult of Personality: Homelander leaned fully into his image as a godlike protector. His actions became more erratic, but his support among certain factions of the public — and Vought’s manipulation of media — made him nearly untouchable.
- New Supes, New Threats: The introduction of new characters, including younger and more unstable supes, expanded the idea that the next generation might be even more dangerous. Some were part of Vought’s next wave of “heroes”; others rebelled entirely.
Season 4 didn’t just raise the stakes — it positioned the narrative for a catastrophic final confrontation. With Butcher’s time running out, Homelander unchained, and the world teetering on the edge of fascism wrapped in spandex, Season 5 promises nothing short of war.
What’s Next: Season 5 Will End the Story
Eric Kripke revealed that Season 5 is the endgame — and it’s all part of the plan. The final season is currently in production, with filming set to continue through 2025. New cast members, including Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins, will join Jensen Ackles for a mini Supernatural reunion, while fans speculate what will become of Homelander, Butcher, and the fate of Vought.
Where They Stand Now:
- Billy Butcher: Dying from Temp V use, more unhinged than ever.
- Homelander: Practically a messianic figure to his followers.
- Ryan: Torn between his biological father and Butcher’s ideals.
- Starlight: Finally free of Vought, leading a resistance.
- Victoria Neuman: Supe with political power — and the power to explode heads.
Key Characters Going Into Season 5
- Billy Butcher:
Terminally ill from Temp V, Butcher is more volatile than ever. With nothing left to lose, he’s hellbent on taking Homelander down — even if it costs him what’s left of his humanity. - Homelander:
A cult-like figure with unchecked power. His grip on the public is stronger than ever, but behind the godlike image is a ticking time bomb of instability and ego. - Ryan:
Torn between two father figures — Homelander and Butcher. His allegiance remains one of the biggest wildcards in the entire series. - Starlight (Annie January):
No longer hiding behind Vought’s mask, Annie has gone fully rogue. She’s using her powers — and her platform — to expose the truth and fight back. - Hughie Campbell:
Still idealistic but hardened. He’s trying to pull The Boys back together while dealing with guilt over his past support of Butcher’s increasingly dangerous choices. - Victoria Neuman:
Now a national political figure — and still secretly a supe. Her true loyalties are unclear, but she’s playing a long game that could reshape America’s future. - The Deep & A-Train:
Both still technically part of The Seven, but each with compromised reputations and agendas. Their loyalty to Homelander is more about survival than belief. - Soldier Boy:
Neutralized but not confirmed dead. His potential return — and his complicated connection to Homelander — remains a lingering threat.
