There is never a dull moment in the twisted world of The Boys. Back in 2022, Season 3 left the heroes and villains in complete disarray, with Butcher driven mad and sick by the powers Temp V gave him and Homelander getting ready to stand trial for the murder of an innocent man, spiraling further into his delusional god complex. The way things ended for every character had viewers on the edge, waiting to see just how things would unfold.
Now that Season 4 has already begun airing, it is delivering on the ultra violence and insanity fans expect, only in greater proportion. With half of the United States’ population turning against Homelander and Neuman facing potential threats in her presidential ambitions, the stakes have never been higher for the Supes.
Butcher is still battling to get Ryan away from Homelander’s influence. Speaking of which, didn’t anyone tell Superman’s psychotic avatar that being a tyrant is bad for the polls?
The Boys – Season 4
2.5/5
In season four of The Boys, Victoria Neuman is closer than ever to the Oval Office and under the control of Homelander. With only months to live, Billy Butcher must find a way to work with The Boys if they want to save the world.
- Release Date
- June 13, 2024
- Cast
- Antony Starr , Karl Urban , Jack Quaid , Erin Moriarty , Jessie T. Usher , Laz Alonso , Chace Crawford , Jeffrey Dean Morgan , Colby Minifie , Valorie Curry , Karen Fukuhara , Cameron Crovetti , claudia doumit , Susan Heyward
- Number of Episodes
- 8
As the chaos mounts, some of the Supes are embracing their powers for good and others are poised to make things worse. Early the trailers for The Boys’ fourth season had dropped a bunch of teases as to how the narrative was going to play out, but it wasn’t until the first three episodes premiered on Amazon Prime Video that fans realized just how crazy things are getting.
Amidst it all, The Boys Season 4 has added multiple new players to the team. Making sure the story is just as unhinged and delightful as the previous seasons, these are Supes with powers that range from humorous to wicked.
Regardless, The Boys remains subversively entertaining. In this list, we will take a look at all five new superpowered characters introduced this season, understand their abilities, see where their allegiances may lie, and how they could impact the outcome of the seasons.
5 Splinter
Played by Rob Benedict
The Boyshas had connections with Eric Kripke’s Supernatural before, with the showrunner inserting clever Easter Eggs here and there in previous seasons. Rob Benedict’s appearance in the latest episodes is another holler at Supernatural fans. He plays Splinter, a minor antagonist in The Boys Season 4.
As a spokesperson for another Supe (Firecracker), Splinter arranges a far-right Homelander support convention for her to address the public at, when Frenchie, Mother’s Milk, and Kimiko show up to tail Sister Sage.
By this time, The Boys have already had an internal among themselves, which means any involvement of Butcher in the mission is unofficial. The group’s plan to eavesdrop on the Supes is unsuccessful when they are ambushed, leaving MM, Frenchie, and Kimiko to fight back.
It is then that we witness Splinter’s superpowers – splitting into clones of himself, all of whom dub him as ‘Prime.’ Immediately outnumbered, the Boys start killing Splinter’s replicates one by one and are ultimately saved by Butcher, who drives a crowbar straight into Prime’s head.
Benedict is a seasoned sci-fi veteran, perhaps best known for his role as God, the main villain in Supernatural. He made a name for himself in genre television, and yet, this is certaining Rob’s most darkly comedic roles to date.
When speaking of the character to Variety, Kripke clarified to him, “Here are the things that this role is going to be doing, and you need to know exactly what you’re getting into, because we’re friends.” Despite showing the potential of being a compelling and useful Supe, the fact that Benedict’s Splinter was only ever supposed to have a cameo is equal parts amazing and funny.
4 Zoe Neuman
Played by Olivia Morandin
Zoe Neuman only shows up twice in The Boys Season 3; the first time, she is being read to by Stan Edgar. And the second time, when Victoria injects her with a dose of Compound V.
Despite being afraid of what it might do to her, Zoe braves it after Victoria comforts her and promises her that Compound V will make her strong and keep her safe. Viewers had no clue as to what powers it gave her, but Season 4 opens up with a bang by showing something dormant waking up in a harmless Zoe as deadly tentacles come out of her mouth, and she attacks the guards that are helping Frenchie and Kimiko.
While the ability to unleash four tentacle-like mouths coated with sharp teeth may not seem like a big deal, considering how powerful the rest of the adult Supes are, Compound V has also obviously given Zoe other powers like super strength, durability, exceptional hearing sensibilities and healing factors.
Viewers saw glimpses of it all when she held her own against Kimiko. Zoe is played by Olivia Morandin, who is a versatile and passionate social butterfly destined for great things. Her role in The Boys Season 4 is assumed to become vital as Victoria may use her for missions and maybe even push her moral limits.
3 Black Noir II
Played by Nathan Mitchell
Once the enigmatic silent assassin of The Seven, his true identity and backstory was revealed in Season 3, shortly after which Homelander killed Black Noir. Which is why when the character shows up in the latest season of The Boys, fans are shocked but thrilled. This new Supe taking up the mask, though, is an altogether different person. Because Vought cannot admit to the masses what actually happened, they hire an actor to cover up yet another impulsive murder at the hands of Homelander.
Black Noir’s replacement, or Black Noir II as Kripke officially calls him, is technically a new addition to the Supes because he has similar powers to the old Noir. He is also very strong and can kill humans with minimal effort. The character is still being played by Nathan Michell. That said, he has picked up the physique and mannerisms of Noir quite effortlessly, with the exception being that Black Noir II can speak. And often when he shouldn’t.
Kripke had confirmed that the new Black Noir will be a “whole new” and “really interesting and hilarious character.” So far, by not being a strictly loyal enforcer, Noir has proven himself a stand-out. From questioning Homelander’s methods of violence and not understanding his role in The Seven to being a narcoleptic who might sabotage future missions, Nathan’s fresh handling of the character’s tightrope act promises to keep viewers entertained.
2 Firecracker
Played by Valorie Curry
A pretty combination of tough and tender, Firecracker is the newest addition to The Boys’ wide array of evil Supes. Not so evil per se, Firecracker’s powers don’t go very far. She can generate sparks by snapping her fingers, can endure powerful blows and matches the strength of most minor characters on the show. As mentioned by Sister Sage, however, it is not Firecracker’s physical prowess that will help Homelander’s cause, but her ability to cut deep into past wounds of their enemies.
Firecracker is famous on YouTube, something of an influence on Instagram, and a conspiracy theorist hellbent on bringing Starlight down. The third episode of The Boys reveals how Starlight spread horrible rumors about her during a pageant they participated in at the age of 13, back when Firecracker went by Sparkler, and how it ruined her chances of ever making it big.
The fact that she now makes the most controversial, unrestrained, and often contradictory statements about Starlight only makes her an asset to Homelander and Vought.
Playing the complex Firecracker is Valorie Curry, whose talents have been put on display both in action and drama. Her acting credits include movies like Blair Witch and the Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, and television series like The Following and the Tick. The actress understands her grounded and multi-layered part in the show. And as long as Firecracker maintains her grudge, she could prove to be a tough contender against Starlight.
1 Sister Sage
Played by Susan Heyward
The most prominent new addition to the cast of The Boys is Sister Sage. Hailing from Detroit, Michigan, Sage is known for being the smartest person on the planet. She is played by Susan Heyward and we first meet her when Homelander pays her a visit in her apartment, which is cramped top to bottom in books.
Homelander asks her for advice and the two come up with a plan to gain control of the White House. A former member of Teenage Kix, Sister Sage is aware of nearly every physical, emotional, and fundamental crisis being faced by Vought at present.
Sage does not have any physical powers, and yet, she has the brains to always be one step ahead of the enemy. She takes no time in joining The Seven, becoming the CEO at Vought International, making all the decisions, and even soft-controlling Homelander by calling him out every chance she gets.
Viewers aren’t quite aware of her true motivations yet, but the fact that she successfully frames Starlighters for the murder of three innocent people, berates Ashley and urges The Deep to take a stand, proves that she is capable of taking advantage of almost anyone.
Heyward, who portrays Sister Sage, draws on her own background in drama and the memorable role of Tamika Ward in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black. She ensures her complex performance will have viewers invested in Sage’s narrative. Thus far, Sage has kept herself to the shadows. As her manipulations swell, we might even see her turning against Homelander and Vought. After all, she is the smartest person on the planet.
