Showrunner Eric Kripke at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con in California

The Boys is an American satirical superhero television series developed by showrunner Eric Kripke that premiered on July 26, 2019, on the streaming service Amazon Prime Video. Kripke also serves as an executive producer, alongside Evan Goldberg, Neal H. Moritz, and Seth Rogen.[1][2] Based on the comic book of the same name by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, it follows the eponymous team of vigilantes as they attempt to take down The Seven, a team of superpowered individuals who abuse their powers.[3][4]

Originally intended to be a film trilogy, the project began its development in 2008 with Adam McKay set to direct, until a number of creative differences led to the project's cancellation; it was revived in 2016 as a television series.[2][5] The Boys stars an ensemble cast, originally consisting of Laz Alonso, Tomer Capone, Chace Crawford, Karen Fukuhara, Dominique McElligott, Erin Moriarty, Jack Quaid, Elisabeth Shue, Antony Starr, Karl Urban, and Jessie T. Usher, although many actors have joined and left the series throughout its run.[6][7]

The entire first season was released on July 26, 2019.[8] Ahead of the series' debut, a second season was confirmed to be in development,[9] which ran from September 4, 2020, through October 9.[10] Ahead of the second-season premiere, a third season was ordered,[11] which ran from June 3, 2022, through July 8.[12] A week after the third-season premiere, the series was renewed for a fourth season.[13] The fourth season ran from June 13, 2024, and concluded on July 18.[3] A month before the fourth season was released, the series was renewed for a fifth season,[14] which was later confirmed to be its last.[15][16] The fifth season premiered on April 8, 2026, with the series finale set to release on May 20.[17]

As of April 8, 2026, 34 episodes of The Boys have aired, currently in its fifth season.

Series overview

Season Episodes Originally released
First released Last released
1 8 July 26, 2019 (2019-07-26)
2 8 September 4, 2020 (2020-09-04) October 9, 2020 (2020-10-09)
3 8 June 3, 2022 (2022-06-03) July 8, 2022 (2022-07-08)
4 8 June 13, 2024 (2024-06-13) July 18, 2024 (2024-07-18)
5[17] 8 April 8, 2026 (2026-04-08) May 20, 2026 (2026-05-20)

Episodes

Season 1 (2019)

Main article: The Boys season 1
Season one episodes
No.
overall		 No. in
season		 Title Directed by Written by Original release date [18]
1 1 "The Name of the Game" Dan Trachtenberg Eric Kripke July 26, 2019 (2019-07-26)
2 2 "Cherry" Matt Shakman Eric Kripke July 26, 2019 (2019-07-26)
3 3 "Get Some" Phil Sgriccia George Mastras July 26, 2019 (2019-07-26)
4 4 "The Female of the Species" Fred Toye Craig Rosenberg July 26, 2019 (2019-07-26)
5 5 "Good for the Soul" Stefan Schwartz Anne Cofell Saunders July 26, 2019 (2019-07-26)
6 6 "The Innocents" Jennifer Phang Rebecca Sonnenshine July 26, 2019 (2019-07-26)
7 7 "The Self-Preservation Society" Dan Attias Craig Rosenberg & Ellie Monahan July 26, 2019 (2019-07-26)
8 8 "You Found Me" Eric Kripke Anne Cofell Saunders & Rebecca Sonnenshine July 26, 2019 (2019-07-26)

Season 2 (2020)

Main article: The Boys season 2
Season two episodes
No.
overall		 No. in
season		 Title Directed by Written by Original release date [18]
9 1 "The Big Ride" Phil Sgriccia Eric Kripke September 4, 2020 (2020-09-04)
10 2 "Proper Preparation and Planning" Liz Friedlander Rebecca Sonnenshine September 4, 2020 (2020-09-04)
11 3 "Over the Hill with the Swords of a Thousand Men" Steve Boyum Craig Rosenberg September 4, 2020 (2020-09-04)
12 4 "Nothing Like It in the World" Fred Toye Michael Saltzman September 11, 2020 (2020-09-11)
13 5 "We Gotta Go Now" Batan Silva Ellie Monahan September 18, 2020 (2020-09-18)
14 6 "The Bloody Doors Off" Sarah Boyd Anslem Richardson September 25, 2020 (2020-09-25)
15 7 "Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker" Stefan Schwartz Craig Rosenberg October 2, 2020 (2020-10-02)
16 8 "What I Know" Alex Graves Rebecca Sonnenshine October 9, 2020 (2020-10-09)

Season 3 (2022)

Main article: The Boys season 3
Season two episodes
No.
overall		 No. in
season		 Title Directed by Written by Original release date [18]
17 1 "Payback" Phil Sgriccia Craig Rosenberg June 3, 2022 (2022-06-03)
18 2 "The Only Man in the Sky" Phil Sgriccia David Reed June 3, 2022 (2022-06-03)
19 3 "Barbary Coast" Julian Holmes Anslem Richardson & Geoff Aull June 3, 2022 (2022-06-03)
20 4 "Glorious Five-Year Plan" Julian Holmes Meredith Glynn June 10, 2022 (2022-06-10)
21 5 "The Last Time to Look on This World of Lies" Nelson Cragg Ellie Monahan June 17, 2022 (2022-06-17)
22 6 "Herogasm" Nelson Cragg Jessica Chou June 24, 2022 (2022-06-24)
23 7 "Here Comes a Candle to Light You to Bed" Sarah Boyd Paul Grellong July 1, 2022 (2022-07-01)
24 8 "The Instant White-Hot Wild" Sarah Boyd Logan Ritchey & David Reed July 8, 2022 (2022-07-08)

Season 4 (2024)

Main article: The Boys season 4
Season four episodes
No.
overall		 No. in
season		 Title Directed by Written by Original release date [18]
25 1 "Department of Dirty Tricks" Phil Sgriccia David Reed June 13, 2024 (2024-06-13)
26 2 "Life Among the Septics" Karen Gaviola Jessica Chou June 13, 2024 (2024-06-13)
27 3 "We'll Keep the Red Flag Flying Here" Fred Toye Ellie Monahan June 13, 2024 (2024-06-13)
28 4 "Wisdom of the Ages" Phil Sgriccia Geoff Aull June 20, 2024 (2024-06-20)
29 5 "Beware the Jabberwock, My Son" Shana Stein Judalina Neira June 27, 2024 (2024-06-27)
30 6 "Dirty Business" Karen Gaviola Anslem Richardson July 4, 2024 (2024-07-04)
31 7 "The Insider" Catriona McKenzie Paul Grellong July 11, 2024 (2024-07-11)
32 8 "Season Four Finale"
"Assassination Run"[a]		 Eric Kripke Jessica Chou & David Reed July 18, 2024 (2024-07-18)

Season 5 (2026)

Main article: The Boys season 5
No.
overall		 No. in
season		 Title Directed by Written by [20] Original release date [17]
33 1 "Fifteen Inches of Sheer Dynamite" Phil Sgriccia Paul Grellong April 8, 2026 (2026-04-08)
34 2 "Teenage Kix" Shana Stein Jessica Chou April 8, 2026 (2026-04-08)
35 3 TBA TBA Ellie Monahan April 15, 2026 (2026-04-15)
36 4 TBA TBA Geoff Aull April 22, 2026 (2026-04-22)
37 5 "One-Shots"[21] TBA Judalina Neira April 29, 2026 (2026-04-29)
38 6 TBA TBA David Reed May 6, 2026 (2026-05-06)
39 7 TBA TBA Anslem Richardson May 13, 2026 (2026-05-13)
40 8 TBA TBA Judalina Neira & David Reed May 20, 2026 (2026-05-20)

Notes

  1. ^ The episode was retitled from "Assassination Run" to "Season Four Finale" due to the attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Pennsylvania.[19]

References

  1. ^ Radish, Christina (September 26, 2019). "Eric Kripke on Amazon's 'The Boys' and the End of 'Supernatural'". Collider. Archived from the original on March 14, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (April 6, 2016). "'The Boys' Drama Based on Comic Book Set at Cinemax with Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Eric Kripke, Original Film & Sony". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 19, 2018. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Rice, Lynette (February 22, 2024). "'The Boys': When to Expect Fourth Season Return". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 11, 2024. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  4. ^ Calhoun, Raquel (September 28, 2025). "'The Boys' Universe: All the Current and Upcoming Series and Spinoffs". TheWrap. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
  5. ^ Bergeson, Samantha (June 25, 2024). "Adam McKay Wrote a 'The Boys' Screenplay in 2008: Comic Book Creator Says Hollywood Wasn't 'Ready' for Satirical Superheroes". IndieWire. Archived from the original on June 27, 2024. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  6. ^ "The Boys". TV Guide. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
  7. ^ Sager, Jessica (June 14, 2024). "'The Boys' Cast: A Guide to All the Actors from Season 1 to Season 4". People. Archived from the original on June 14, 2024. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
  8. ^ Gemmill, Allie; Bloom, Mike (May 8, 2021). "'The Boys' Season 1 release date, trailer, cast, plot, renewal, and more". Inverse. Archived from the original on December 2, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  9. ^ Otterson, Joe (July 19, 2019). "'The Boys' Lands Early Season 2 Renewal at Amazon". Variety. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  10. ^ Griffin, David (September 10, 2020). "The Boys Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out?". IGN. Archived from the original on June 16, 2024. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  11. ^ Darwish, Meaghan (July 23, 2020). "'The Boys' Will Be Back! Amazon Renews Series for Season 3". TV Insider. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  12. ^ Gelman, Vlada (January 7, 2022). "'The Boys' Season 3 Gets Premiere Date — Watch Announcement Video". TVLine. Archived from the original on January 7, 2022. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  13. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (June 10, 2022). "'The Boys' Renewed For Season 4 By Amazon; Vernon Sanders On Show's Ratings Growth & Spinoffs' Status". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 4, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  14. ^ Campione, Katie (May 14, 2024). "'The Boys' Renewed for Season 5 at Amazon". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  15. ^ Maas, Jennifer (June 11, 2024). "'The Boys' to End with Season 5 on Amazon". Variety. Archived from the original on June 11, 2024. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  16. ^ Gomez, Dessi (July 18, 2024). "'The Boys' Season 5: Everything We Know So Far". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 4, 2024. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  17. ^ a b c Garner, Glenn (December 7, 2025). "'The Boys' Season 5 Teaser Reveals Premiere Date & Jared Padalecki's Reunion With Erick Kripke, Jensen Ackles — CCXP Brazil". Deadline. Retrieved December 7, 2025.
  18. ^ a b c d "Boys, The (Amazon)". The Futon Critic. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  19. ^ Maas, Jennifer (July 18, 2024). "'The Boys' Season 4 Finale Adds Warning for Assassination Storyline After Trump Attack: 'Any Similarities' Are 'Coincidental and Unintentional'". Variety. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  20. ^ "The Boys - WGA Directory". Writers Guild of America West. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  21. ^ Miller, Liz Shannon (April 6, 2026). "In Its Final Season, The Boys Is No Longer Fun: Review". Consequence. Retrieved April 8, 2026.