The Boys Season 4 Trailer Easter Eggs, Small Details, & More
A brand new trailer for "The Boys" Season 4 has made a superhero landing online this week, bringing with it the signature carnage and body-breaking chaos we've come to expect. In what feels very much like an "Infinity War" level outing for Amazon's hit show, Karl Urban's Billy Butcher and Antony Starr's Homelander are once again going at it — only now on a scale that sees riots in the streets, supers swinging at civilians, and powered up farm animals going on a rampage. Same old, same old, right?
Amidst the blood and chaos, though, some crucial details from this all-new preview give us hints as to what we're in for this time around. Sure, there are clues about the signature twists and turns the show has always delivered, but there's also a brand new bit of world-building following on from the events of the spin-off series, "Gen V," that'll make "The Boys" universe an even bigger landscape to spread the blood across. It also sets up some exciting character collisions that will likely only end badly. So take a seat, grab a milkshake, and get diabolically deep into the details of "The Boys" Season 4.
The clock is ticking for Billy
The trailer opens with Butcher begging for the help of The Boys and Starlight (Erin Moriarty), because there's seemingly no cure for him after going heavy on the Temp V he took to battle Homelander. He now has mere months to live, as revealed at the ending of "The Boys Season 3." While he might seem in a bad state, does that make him less dangerous — or more so? At this point, he has nothing left to lose, after all. Billy explains to his friends that he's spent a life making mistakes and doesn't have long left to put things right. It's undoubtedly a sad moment between him and his on-and-off comrades, but if we're going to be honest, we might not fully be buying.
If there's one thing we know besides how much he hates supes — and Homelander especially — it's that Billy Butcher has made an art form out of shedding crocodile tears in the past. As devious as he is at bringing down Vought's top costume-wearing warriors, he's also proven to be a master manipulator, and this could be another time he's pulling on the heartstrings of those he called friends. He's right, though. Time really is running out for Billy, and it won't be long until those strings to Hughie (Jack Quaid) and company snap for good, if he's not careful.
Homelander activates God mode
After killing someone right on Main Street in the last season and his despicable actions being met with adoration, Homelander is working on damage control. Rounding up the superpowered troops and enlisting new ones in the form of Firecracker (Valorie Curry), Sister Sage (Susan Heyward), and some familiar faces from God U, Big H has new plans for The Seven. As he warns of the country falling into corruption, action needs to be taken that he cautions will see them change in the eye of the public into "wrathful gods." Is that something that A-Train (Reggie Franklin) and The Deep (Chase Crawford) will be able to accept, given they've been struggling with their place in the world ever since the show started?
It's worth noting that during Homelander's pep talk, Deep can be seen going up to bat against an unknown attacker, but which side are they on? It's clear early on in the preview that Starlight supporters are wearing white and gold, whereas Homelander's mob is in his signature red and blue. With that in mind, is this faceless thug squaring up to Deep a Homelander backer, and if so, is the beleaguered Deep switching sides and going against his boss? We can only wish him good luck, if so.
Cameron Coleman kidnapped
In between a bunch of wild shots during Homelander's speech, one surprise appearance comes from Vought news reporter Cameron Coleman. Who? Well, die-hard fans of "The Boys" will know him as the host of "Seven on Seven," the "news" program often shown on the Vought social media accounts and YouTube that has filled in some gaps between seasons, giving updates on the heroic activity of The Seven. Here, though, it looks like Coleman is in some trouble of his own when The Deep is shown with the newsman bound and gagged in what looks like The Seven's Meeting Room.
The obvious guess is that Coleman has been kidnapped at Homelander's request, and a deal will undoubtedly be made. Could this be another play from the leader of The Seven to sway the news in his favor and have Coleman churn out fake news to put Starlight in a bad light? Homelander is known for having a lethal host of powers, but could this season also see him have complete media control? If so, it looks like The Seven's newest recruit, Firecracker, is willing to put the boot in to get the job done and ensure that Homelander's "heroism" remains the top story.
Gen V has entered the building
It was only a matter of time before the events of the spin-off show "Gen V" spilled into "The Boys" — we just didn't know that it would be this soon. Early in the trailer, we get the appearance of Cate (Maddie Phillips) and Sam (Asa Germann), who have seemingly been accepted into Vought and might be joining The Seven under the watchful eye of The Homelander.
Besides those "heroes" in the making landing in the main story of "The Boys" universe, though, there's also talk of the supe-killing virus that Butch caught wind of in the post-credit scene of "Gen V." "I've found the answer to our prayers — a virus that kills supes," Billy tells the group, which Starlight sees as a desperate goose chase. But how will they get their hands on it?
Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit) was last seen snatching the virus at the end of "Gen V." With that in mind, could an alliance between The Boys and the congresswoman be on the cards again? Maybe, but it also means something this dangerous added to the field could hurt both sides once it's released. Sure, Homelander might get taken down, but perhaps Starlight should stay on guard to ensure she doesn't catch it, either.
Butch meets The Monkey
While Homelander might be pulling in some new recruits, it looks like Billy might be getting some new allies of his own as well. Appearing as a Nick Fury-like figure, Jeffrey Dean Morgan plays the shady-looking Howard Kessler, who is a far cry from the version that the leader of The Boys encounters in the comics. Nicknamed The Monkey in Garth Ennis' original story, Kessler was a puppet of Butcher's to gather intel. Here, he looks to be encouraging Butcher's fear of what supes could do if given total control, saying, "We need someone like you, Billy, before the supes start roundin' us up and dumpin' us off in camps." It's a scary thought to share, but one that Butcher is undoubtedly already thinking about.
Given his background in the comics and his role in the trailer, is Kessler the man who points Butch in the direction of the supe-killing virus? Even if he doesn't, having someone else on his side in the battle against Homelander and Kessler would be handy. The only issue is that shady suits helping Butcher tend to wind up dead, so it might be best for Kessler to watch his back in the meantime.
The return of Black Noir
The Flatiron Building gets an unwanted visitor in the form of Black Noir, but how can that be? He died in Season 3 at the hands of Homelander. Honestly, there are a number of supes who could be under the mask in "The Boys" Season 4. However, given that the star-spangled psychopath has enlisted new heroes to join The Seven, he may have had someone else don the Black Noir armor and do the off-the-books activities other heroes shouldn't be getting their hands dirty with. But it could be something even worse.
Fans of the comics have always been on their guard regarding Black Noir, given that in the original run, he was revealed to be a clone of Homelander who was even more unhinged than the original. Factoring this in makes us wonder — who better for Homelander to trust than himself, with the world crumbling around him? Could the crazed cape-wearer actually see cloning himself as a logical move, but one that could just as quickly blow up in his near-invulnerable face?
Super chickens and sheep on the rampage
Let it never be said that "The Boys" has dialed down its level of bonkers. From speedboats through whales to bloodthirsty hamsters, the wildlife in this world is absolutely chaotic. Now it looks like they're stuffing it full, with the arrival of super chickens and sheep attacks from the sky — and not the kind of farmyard friends you find at your local petting zoo, either. At one point, we see Starlight, Frenchie, Mother's Milk, and The Female (Karen Fukuhara) battle a vicious henhouse with one bursting through some nameless suit's chest in "Alien" fashion. It's gory, grim, and a pitch-perfect encounter we'd expect for Butcher's team, once again way out of their depth.
Bullets do nothing as Frenchie (Tomer Capone) and MM try to take it down, only for it to strut around unaffected by the ordeal. There's also a bloodthirsty herd of sheep flying through the air after our heroes, which only leads to one question — why? Could Compound V be getting pumped into livestock to turn Homelander-loving humans into supes? If so, it'd mean powered-up protestors on his side for a war that's undeniably on the verge of breaking out, and anyone who isn't should get the cluck out of the way.
Is there a Gen V patient on the run?
As the trailer draws to an end, we get a flurry of wild shots, one of which seemingly shows Hughie and Starlight in a hospital following a patient looking severely under the weather. Covered in blood from the waist down, we see them stumble down the hall — but who exactly are they, and who is to blame for their injuries? It could be the younger generation of heroes we've recently encountered.
The last time we were in the Boysverse, we saw the survivors of "Gen V" wake up in an unknown facility, one of which was a blood manipulation master named Marie Moreau (Jaz Sinclair). Might this be her doing, in an effort to escape? It could also mark the return of one heinous super character who goes by the name of Love Sausage. You'll remember him as the one with the extra long appendage that Mother's Milk (Laz Alonso) has somehow crossed paths with in the past few seasons. Given the area of this unknown's injury, could this be Love Sausage's last ride? It's a grim thought, but given how low this show has gone in the past, it really shouldn't surprise us anymore.
Another fantasy fight scene for The Female
When it comes to The Female, things often get a bit wild. Bodies start flying, and she rips them apart, but you know, in an elegant and adventurous way. It makes sense, then, that after getting a great dance number with herself and Hughie in the past, we see a slow-motion sequence in what looks like a warehouse full of children's toys. Giant rubber ducks and boats are floating through the air along with a ridiculous amount of bubbles instead of blood bursting from bodies. By putting such an adorable tint on a very brutal event, could this hint at another tactic that Homelander is trying to initiate that The Boys are quick to stop?
We know that Compound V has led to super babies in the past, but could Homelander be hatching a scheme that gets kids more involved in the superhero goings-on than before? Also, what would drive Kimiko to go it alone on what looks to be a very special operation? Whatever it is, it certainly looks like the Female will be up to more colorful carnage than before, and we can't wait to see the aftermath when the bubbles finally burst.
Hughie takes a hit, and Ezekiel loses a limb
"Violence isn't brave," says Hughie in the trailer, which might be morally right, but still, violence has proven effective in the world of "The Boys." Unfortunately, it looks like there's one instance where it's working in favor of The Seven after its newest member, Firecracker, seemingly shoots someone in the back. Is this Hughie, potentially undercover, fleeing through the halls of Vought Tower, or could this a captive we've seen earlier in the trailer? It makes sense that this could be Cameron Coleman on the run and gunned down by the new superteam hero, potentially ending his news career. Then again, it might be a bluff, as we also see Jack Quaid's character running for his life. Will the wound cause issues for our hero, or could Billy still have Temp V at hand to give him a dose?
Speaking of Butch, he looks to have a handful taking on the former head of Capes for Christ, Ezekiel (Shaun Benson), who is literally reaching out for an attack against our tea-loving team leader. Last seen in Season 1, Ezekiel gave Butcher information tracking down a shipment of Compound V but has been off the radar only to be back working with Vought for a new app called "Prayers and Thoughts." Has Ezekiel been given a shot at redemption, which involves taking down the Boys? God (and Homelander) only knows, but it won't end well for him by the looks of things. Thoughts and prayers, Ezekiel.
Ryan enters rage mode
The corruption of poor young Ryan (Cameron Crovetti) is picking up super speed after fully embracing the power of his dear old dad, Homelander. Seen stopping what looks like a crime in progress, things take a violent turn (shock) when Ryan throws the criminal just a little too hard into the side of the building, leading to things going splat. There's a look of shock and almost guilt at his actions, but the question is if these emotions will stick. Homelander might reinforce the idea that these are the jobs that must be done, and in fact, it might be Ryan Homelander is speaking to at the start of the trailer. It doesn't mean he's listening, though.
There's a chance that no matter how many milkshakes Homelander gives his son, Ryan might learn the error of his ways and head back to Camp Butcher to help turn the tide against Vought's murderous mascot. The arrival of "Gen V's" Sam could also start a rift, with Homelander seeing more in the model God U student than his own son. The critical thing to consider, though, is that, given Billy's current mental state, will he ever want to take his estranged stepson back at all, even if he does switch sides? We'll find out when "The Boys" returns on June 13.