Prime Video’s superhero series The Boys isn’t particularly subtle with its critique of modern society, politics, and morality. Even when the show isn’t on-air, the social media accounts associated with it find a way to satirize current events. However, according to series creator Erik Kripke, it’s not that The Boys is holding up a mirror to society, but the real world has changed so much that it now resembles the brutal fictional world of the show.
Eric Kripke says ‘the world changed to reflect’ The Boys
Kripke noted in a recent interview that they were not actively designing the show to reflect reality but things are changing all over the real world to reflect the show. Notably, The Boys Season 4 became available on Prime Video between June 13, 2024, and July 18, 2024. The production for Season 5, which also be the show’s last chapter, has already begun.
“The way [the series] reflects everything that’s happening in the world really comes from this understanding, that we found very early on in the process, which is this happens to be a television show based on a comic book,” Kripke explained in an interview with Variety.
“It’s not like we were designing it to reflect reality, but we happen to be making a show about violent authoritarians who present as celebrities. Then suddenly, the world changed to reflect the show, not just in the States – all over the world. Suddenly we found ourselves making one of the most current shows on television,” he added.
Like any traditional superhero project, The Boys has its share of superpowered individuals, fantasy elements, and epic action sequences. What sets it apart is that it’s an unrelenting caricature of the superhero genre as a whole, depicting a world where the superheroes are petty, apathetic, and corrupt. At the end of Season 4, Homelander (Antony Starr) establishes what appears to be a tyrannical control over the U.S., which perfectly sets up the narrative for Season 5.
