It feels like we’re in the golden age of superhero shows right now, and Amazon’s The Boys continues to distinguish itself as one of the most politically relevant comic book offerings out there. During The Boys ComicCon@Home panel hosted by Aisha Tyler, the cast and crew discussed what we can expect in The Boys Season 2 now that our protagonists are all on the run, and Homelander is on the warpath.
When we last left off with The Boys, Hughie, Frenchie, Mother’s Milk, and Kimiko were narrowly saved from A-Train by Starlight at a black ops site. Butcher, meanwhile, went rogue and kidnapped Stillwell in a bid to defeat Homelander. Homelander killed Stillwell instead, and revealed to Butcher that his wife was alive and raising Homelander’s son. Finally, Starlight had to confront the fact that her powers weren’t given to her by God but by her mom, who injected her with Vought’s Compound-V substance.
As a result of all these reveals, Season 2 “is a lot more intense” with higher emotional stakes, show creator Eric Kripke explained during the panel. “Everyone is in a real tight spot. The Boys are wanted fugitives … and they’re doing their best to fight back at Vought.”
Political commentary is built into The Boys’ source material, and Kripke was very clear that that trend will continue into Season 2. Describing the show as a “commentary on the up-to-the-minute world we’re living in” that tackled sexual harassment, politics, and the American weapons industry in Season 1, Kripke said Season 2 will be about another pressing issue: racism.
“We’re going after white supremacy and white nationalism in Season 2,” Kripke stated. “We’re going after systemic racism.”
During the panel, we also learned about the arcs for each of the protagonists going forward.
“Butcher’s objective in Season 2 is to rescue Rebecca and get his wife back,” Karl Urban explained. He also noted that Butcher is faced with a choice: does he jeopardize his team once again if it means taking Homelander down for real?
With Butcher gone and their team on the run, Jack Quaid said that Hughie feels “very alone and terrible for lying to Annie,” but at a certain point he realizes he has to move forward. He also learns to be more of a leader. “He’s owning himself a little bit more … he’s still going to scream, a lot, but he’s coming into his own,” Quaid explained.
Laz Alonso discussed how Mother’s Milk is still the “conscience” of the group in Season 2, but he’s maybe too addicted to “risking all the [good] things he has” in his life in the pursuit of justice.
Karen Fukuhara also teased that we’ll see a lot of Kimiko growth in Season 2. We dive more into her “psyche and her mental state,” and learn more about her past. “Her relationship with her history also alters her relationship with Frenchie a little bit,” Fukuhara said, hinting that she becomes less feral and more “womanly” and independent.
Frenchie, meanwhile, spent most of Season 1 protecting Kimiko, only to find out she’s superhuman and really doesn’t need protection at all. His actor Tomer Capon said you can expect to get a sneak peek of Frenchie’s origin story, including his real name and the trauma he experienced. As for his relationship with Kimiko, Capon explained that Frenchie clung to Kimiko because “she was what he saw as the most beautiful thing he could take care of.” In Season 2 though, Kimiko “can’t take” his coddling anymore, and she “has to spread her wings and start talking.”
Then we have the supers. Erin Moriarty says Annie’s arc in Season 2 is still “to be the best superhero in the world … but she’s forced to adapt to the dark world that she’s been exposed to.” Moriarty hinted at some interesting team-ups that will showcase how Starlight has become more wisened to the way the world works, but she still wants to do good.
They also revealed a new character: Stormfront, Homelander’s predecessor in the comics who’s now a woman in the show, played by Aya Cash. As suggested by her name — taken from the Internet’s first major neo-Nazi website — her story is “very prescient for where we right now in our culture.”
As for Homelander, actor Antony Starr said that the patriotic villain will have a lot of “internal” storylines, versus the external growth he experienced in Season 1. “[Homelander is] the strongest physical man on the show [but] the weakest, emotionally, in my opinion,” Starr said. He also vaguely hinted that Homelander still finds a way to feel connected to the dead Stillwell, to which Urban blurted out, “You’re drinking her breastmilk!”
Finally, producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg popped in at the end to say thank you to the fans, and then announced The Boys has been renewed for a Season 3. They said it’s unclear when filming can actually resume, but at least we know that The Boys fans will be eating good for the foreseeable future. Aisha Tyler also announced she’ll be hosting a new after show called Prime Rewind: Inside the Boys, which will air after each episode of The Boys.
The Boys Season 2 premieres on September 4, 2020.
