The Boys creator Eric Kripke says he "lives in absolute terror" that the show will become the thing they have been parodying

Nov. 17, 2024

You either die a hero or live long enough to become a villain

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The Boyshas been going strong since its debut, but its fifth season will be its final one as series creator Eric Kripke reveals he “lives in absolute terror of becoming the thing we’ve been satirizing for five years.”

“We do these shows because we really care about them and we’re passionate about them,” Kripke explains. “They can tell fresh stories that we can’t tell in The Boys and not just be about rapid expansion but be very careful and mindful about the choices we’re making and being able to defend why we’re making them. I worry about that every single day.”

Season 4 of The Boys sparked some fan backlashas right-wingers realized, “hey, this play is about us.” That writing has been on the wall since episode one, but sometimes it takes a while for people to catch up.

I’m gladThe Boys is bowing out after its next season. I’ve loved it all, but I’d prefer to see it go out on a high, on its own terms, not fizzle away or become the very thing it parodies. As for the spin-off shows, I was pleasantly surprised by Gen V and its ability to forge its own style while still connecting to the wider Boys universe in a way that felt meaningful. It’s given me hope for Vought Rising, too.

“There’s no doubt that we’re a franchise now, but we’re trying to do it with as much integrity as Hollywood could muster, which isn’t much, but it’s a little,” Kripke says.

While you wait for more from The Boys' universe, why not check out some of thenew TV showscoming out?

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I’m Issy, a freelancer who you’ll now occasionally see over here covering news on GamesRadar. I’ve always had a passion for playing games, but I learned how to write about them while doing my Film and TV degrees at the University of Warwick and contributing to the student paper, The Boar. After university I worked at TheGamer before heading up the news section at Dot Esports. Now you’ll find me freelancing for Rolling Stone, NME, Inverse, and many more places. I love all things horror, narrative-driven, and indie, and I mainly play on my PS5. I’m currently clearing my backlog and loving Dishonored 2.

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