The Boys returns for its fourth season on June 13, and after losing Black Noir (dead) and Queen Maeve (retired) last season, the first episode will focus on Homelander recruiting some new members of The Seven.
As you might expect, those new recruits turn out to be every bit as unhinged/amoral as pretty much every other Supe that's been part of the team, but one, in particular, might be the most dangerous of all: The smartest person in the world, Sister Sage (Susan Heyward).
"It's such a funny power," showrunner Eric Kripke says of the scheming Supe in a new interview with EW. "A lot of superhero worlds have that character. Whereas most of them are usually really reedy white dudes, we wanted a Black woman who was raised in a low socioeconomic area, so no one f---ing listens to her. It's both commentary and satirical that you have literally the smartest person in the world that could cure all of society's ills, but she just can't get anyone to listen to her. So then she becomes a bitter misanthrope."
We'll also be introduced to Firecracker (Valorie Curry), an alt-right extremist with a fairly ineffectual ability - but Sage believes she can harness the unwavering support of her fan-base.
"It turns out, there's always crazier," Kripke explains. "Firecracker represents both members of the conspiracy-minded movements and the super extreme right-wing news media. That character has some surprising backstory that connects her to some of the characters in our world that it was just interesting to bring in one of those pistol-packing 'I shot my puppies' type of characters."
The Boys was recently renewed for a fifth season. Check out a new still featuring Homelander introducing Sage and Firecracker below.
"The world is on the brink. Victoria Neuman is closer than ever to the Oval Office and under the muscly thumb of Homelander, who is consolidating his power," reads the official season 4 synopsis. "Butcher, with only months to live, has lost Becca’s son as well as his job as The Boys’ leader. The rest of the team are fed up with his lies. With the stakes higher than ever, they have to find a way to work together and save the world before it’s too late."
Returning cast members include Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara, Colby Minifie, Claudia Doumit, and Cameron Crovetti, along with new recruits Susan Heyward, Valorie Curry, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
The first three episodes of The Boys season 4 will be available to stream from June 13th, with new instalments dropping weekly through to the season finale on July 18.