Posted in: Amazon Studios, TV | Tagged: gen v, the boys

The Boys Season 5: Why We Can't See "Superhero" Replacing "Supes"

Sure, Showrunner Eric Kripke's The Boys can now legally use "superhero," but it doesn't need to - not with how popular "supes" has become.

With Showrunner Eric Kripke's The Boys heading into a fifth and final season, we can expect there to be a whole lot of game-changing going down before the final credits roll. Heroes will rise! Heroes will fall! And the world will never be the same! Okay, maybe we're being a little too "comic book" to our liking – but you get the point. Even Kripke had previously mentioned that we should expect a pretty decent body count before this chapter of the franchise's universe closes its doors – it's what you would expect from the final endgame between Butcher (Karl Urban) and Homelander (Antony Starr). But could we be seeing a very unexpected and major change during the hit streaming series' final run? Could "supes" become… "superheroes"? Okay, we're thinking probably not, but here's why that's even a possibility.

In case you missed our reporting on the matter, The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office canceled the trademark that DC Comics and Marvel Comics have held over the phrase ("Super Hero," "Superhero," and "Super-hero"), meaning that it's free to use – a decision that makes perfect sense when you consider just how generic the phrase has become in our everyday conversations. How could that impact the show? Probably very little – despite the Homelander image posted by the show's official Twitter account and reposted by Kripke. The term "supes" has become ingrained with the series on a subatomic level, so much so that you hear it being used in place of "superheroes." You can't throw away that kind of natural branding.  Could it end up being used in some other way – either as a not-so-subtle knife twist about the whole issue or as the basis for a dramatic moment? Yeah, that we could definitely see… maybe a point where someone says that they need to stop being "supes" and start being heroes… "superheroes" (don't judge me – it was just a thought).

The Boys Season 5: Random Notes…

In August, Antony Starr (Homelander) checked in with Team LJ Supersuits – the amazing team that crafts some of the finest costume work going. Based on the images he shared on Instagram from his visit, it looks like some Season 5 costume work is already underway – but in case you missed the ten-ton hint, Kripke was kind enough to drive the point home:

"Saw the lovely team at [Team LJ Supersuits] today….Good times ahead. Keep going, kiddos," Starr wrote as the caption to his Instagram post, which also included a look at his visit to their offices/workshops:

Speaking with Gamesradar+, Kripke shared one of the reasons why Soldier Boy was brought back – and how his allegiances will be quite different during the final season (sorry, Karl Urban's Billy Butcher). "You know, what we realized was we really hadn't explored the father-son relationship much between Homelander and Soldier Boy. There's a lot of material there: how Soldier Boy feels about Homelander, how Homelander feels about his dad, and so we really wanted to dig into that relationship," Kripke explained.

The creative team also doesn't lose sight of just how popular both Ackles and the character are—as was evident by the crowd's reaction to him coming out onto the stage for the panel. Kripke joked, "We were just really excited to bring him out. And, you know, Jensen, despite his tragic ugliness, you know, we thought we should give him a shot." What's not a joke is who Soldier Boy has his sights set on when he does wake up from his deep freeze. "Soldier Boy is really driven to kill Butcher after Butcher betrayed him in season 3. So he's just an excellent antagonist, to switch sides and basically, you know, to be with the supes," Kripke added.

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