A comic book series of the same name written by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson is the basis for the television series.
The teaser trailer features several new cast members, plus a scene that takes place in a well-known memorable comic book storyline from the graphic novels.
The following sections contain spoilers for the first two seasons.
Superheroes are real in the Boys’ fictional world, but they are not like the heroes we are accustomed to, corrupted by corporations and greed for money and fame.
It is the Seven, led by Homelander (Antony Starr), a violent and unstable maniac with Superman-like powers masquerading as the All-American hero, that is considered the most elite superhero group.
They are a creation of the Vought Corporation, which uses a substance called Compound V to create the supes.
Homelander’s nemesis in the titular “Boys” is Billy Butcher (Karl Urban), who is on a vigilante’s mission to punish the corrupt and evil behavior of the Seven, especially Homelander, who raped Butcher’s late wife.
At the end of Season 1, we left off on a major cliffhanger where Butcher, intent on committing suicide with a bomb attack and intending to include Homelander in his suicide, suddenly changes his mind when he discovers that his ex-wife, Becca (Shantel VanSanten) is still alive and raising their (superpowered) son, Ryan (Cameron Crovetti), a child that originated from Homelanders rape of his wife.
As Season 2 began, the Boys are fugitives, having been charged with a murder in season 1 that had really been committed by Homelander.
The crew attempted to clear themselves but were hindered by an unknown assassin who was killing anyone they could consult for information.
As part of their investigation, the Boys also had to track a telekinetic terrorist, none other than Kimiko’s (Karen Fukuhara) younger brother Kenji (Abraham Lim).
Meanwhile, Homelander tries to be a father figure–in his own warped way–to Ryan, and teach him how to use his powers, while Butcher struggles to accept Beccas, son.
The stranglehold of Homelander at Vought is also challenged when CEO Stan Edgar (Giancarlo Esposito) brings in a new member, Stormfront (Aya Cash).
Homelander and Stormfront eventually fall in love after she helps him recover from a public relations disaster.
Of course, this is The Boys’ mad world so Stormfront turns out to be a Nazi-affiliated superhero originally called Liberty. It also turns out that Stormfront was the first superhero created by Compound V.
The woman Homelander loved and his overall hatred of Nazis caused him his first moral dilemma.
The season ended with Homelander and Stormfront kidnapping Ryan, forcing them into a showdown with Butcher and Becca.
While trying to cripple Stormfront in defense of his mother, Ryan accidentally kills Becca as well. CIA agents then capture Ryan after a distraught Homelander is blackmailed into letting them take him.
The Seven reformed with the additions of A-Train and Starlight, but The Deep was once again left out.
Meanwhile, Hughie (Jack Quaid) has left the Boys to work for Congresswoman Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit), unaware that she is actually the mysterious assassin.
Where will S3 take us? There is one clue in the title of the first S3 episode, “Payback.” In the comics, that is the name of an earlier Vought group of superheroes.
During the Battle of the Bulge in World War II, Payback replaced The Avenging Squad, which had been destroyed.
Members of Payback include Eagle the Archer (played by Langston Kerman) who appeared in Season 2 of the series. Prior to the faction turning against him, he recruited Deep and A-Train to the Church of the Collective.
We learned from a fictional news report on Seven on 7 last summer that Eagle had renounced his superhero credentials after being humiliated by the Church. It seems he’s now determined to become a rapper.
As part of season three, another two Payback members will appear: Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) – briefly name-dropped in season two as a colleague of Stormfront before she took the name Liberty – and Crimson Countess (Laurie Holden), who has heat-related superpowers.
It is not confirmed yet whether we’ll see other Payback members such as Tek Knight, Swatto, and Mind Droid (who is romantically involved with Crimson Countess in the comics). But chances are good that we’ll see them.
We also know that Herogasm, one of the comics’ most shocking stories, will be incorporated into the third season. A secluded island turns into a weekend of kinky sex and drug use on a secluded island as the Boys infiltrate Vought’s annual superhero party. The fans had begged director Eric Kripke to address that storyline, and he confirmed last January that the sixth episode of Season Three will be called “Herogasm.”
To what extent will the story of Herogasm be developed in the series? Although it’s hard to predict, the comic panels get explicit at times, but even the mere concept will push the limits of what Prime Video has permitted in the past.
Besides all the blood and gore, season 2 also contained what could be considered a laugh-out-loud throwaway scene where the Boys encounter Love Sausage (Andrew Jackson), who has a prehensile member he can deploy as a weapon due to his exposure to Compound V.
That scene was exactly what you would have expected.
Meanwhile, in the rest of the red band teaser, the biggest revelation is that Butcher decides to equalize the odds by gaining his own superpower by taking Compound V himself. Is it likely that Butcher will become even more chaotic and erratic considering the serious side effects the substance has?
(Probably.) We see Soldier Boy, Crimson Countess, and lots of bodies and heads exploding so it’s a fair bet. One thing is sure, Season 3 does not seem to be about to rein in its gloriously violent style any time soon.
June 3, 2022, marks the premiere of Season 3 of The Boys on Prime Video.