As The Boys approaches its fifth and final season, the elements of life imitating art have never been more crucial for the Amazon Prime Video series.
Showrunner Eric Kripke recently explained that there are no intentions of “pulling our punches” amid the ongoing political strife in the United States under Donald Trump‘s second term as president.
“Obviously, things are happening in the particular country I live in that I respond to,” Kripke told the Los Angeles Times. “This is a reflection of the things we see and the writers are scared of. What we found early on about the superheroes in this world is there’s this interesting intersection of fascism and celebrity. It’s a unique yet very current notion — not just in the States but all over the world — how people are using the power of celebrity to advance authoritarian ideas.”
Kripke has previously noted that the show’s corrupt, all-powerful “supe” Homelander (played by Antony Starr) has “always been a Trump analogue for me” after premiering in 2019 during the twice-impeached president’s first term.
With the final season expected to drop in 2026, amid Trump’s second term, Kripke said, “There’s been a total of zero notes about pulling our punches or about making things less political or less savage. The various powers that be have been really great about it. I think they know that we’d just do it anyway, so why bother?
Eric Kripke at the 2025 Writers Guild Awards Los Angeles on Feb. 15, 2025 in Los Angeles, California
JC Olivera/Variety
“Look, not about this particular show, but I’m certainly worried about a cooling effect when, now more than ever, you need people in the back of the classroom throwing spitballs,” added Kripke. “That’s not just healthy, that’s vital. It’s really important that people who can thumb their nose at it don’t get scared.”
But Kripke said last year that he has “an ending in mind” for The Boys, which was announced days later to conclude with Season 5 on Prime Video in 2026.
