The trailer for “The Boys” Season 3 kicks parody up a notch. A clear example of this is the A-Train featuring a remake of the controversial Pepsi short film commercial from 2017 titled “Live for Now” starring Kendall Jenner. But more on that later. There are many other “supe” elephants in the room that we need to address right away.
Butcher And “The Boys”
The first and perhaps the best thing that we will be getting in “The Boys” Season 3 is Butcher with superpowers. He has laser eyes and super-strength. There is also a moment in the trailer where we get to see him holding a vial of what seems to be the compound V. So, it seems that he has injected himself with it. This is actually adapted from the comics where the group of “The Boys” get injected with the compound V to be able to literally take on the superheroes. However, in the comics, Butcher has only super-strength and not laser eyes. It might also be that Butcher has all the powers of a Homelander in the series.
This will further set the stage for an ending akin to the one in the comics. Butcher becomes what he hates the most, turning himself into the main villain of the story, surpassing Homelander. But the mere fact that Butcher will have a superpower, one that is so visceral, makes Karl Urban the main attraction of season 3.
In the finale episode of Season 2, right at the end, Mallory asks Butcher if he thinks that Ryan will turn into his father, i.e., a Homelander. Butcher replies that Becca didn’t think so, and Mallory mentions her hope for Becca. It is interesting to note that we also see Ryan and his rage in a scene in the trailer. Is this a sign of him becoming more like his father, the Homelander? We hope not.
There is a scene where Kimiko breaks Hughie’s right arm while Butcher is watching. This doesn’t make sense unless it is a way to catalyze the compound V already running in his veins to react to harm (pretty much like what Wade Wilson had to go through before he became Deadpool). This would mean that Hughie, too, has been injected with the compound V. It makes sense again if we consider the comics. We don’t know if Mother’s Milk is injected with it or Frenchie. We’ll have to wait for that.
The trailer also offers a glimpse of another potential caricature, that of the Avengers musical we saw at the end of Disney+ Hotstar Hawkeye. We see Frenchie and Kimiko dance to the beats. This relates to the last episode of “The Boys,” Season 2, where Frenchie asks Kimiko, “What is the point of life without dancing?” Frenchie then takes her hand and twirls her around on their way out.
Soldier Boy And Payback
Jensen Ackles’ Soldier Boy is the newest addition to the “The Boys” series. And we are so happy about it. A Captain America spoof, Soldier Boy, in the comics, is a minor antagonist. The original Soldier Boy fought in WWII and died. A new soldier boy was brought in by Vought for the present while the public was told that he was one and the same.
As for whether “The Boys” Season 3 will have him from the past or present, it seems that the answer is both. We do see some footage of him from the war. We see him punched in the face and fighting off soldiers. A clever tactic that may have seemingly been used by the creators of of the series to bring him to the present is cryostasis (the Winter Soldier formula from Captain America: Winter Soldier). This is the last thing we see in the trailer when he wakes up from deep sleep with long hair and rugged beard. He is brought back to life by Vought whenever needed, and this time it is probably to bring an end to Butcher and his boys. Keeping in mind Stormfront and how her character was treated in season 2, it does make sense for Soldier Boy to turn up from the past. As for his powers, he has super-strength and a shield, both a caricature of Captain America (even the helmet).
Along with Soldier Boy, we also have Crimson Countess (a Scarlet Witch spoof), who, along with a few others, comprise Payback, the second most popular team of superheroes created by Vought after The Seven. The other members include Swatto, Mind-Droid, Eagle the Archer, and Tek Knight. We don’t come across them in the trailer, but we can expect them to show up. Stormfront is also a former member of Payback, so there is a possibility of either a reunion or a civil-war-type event. In the comics, “The Boys” fight Payback and almost get themselves killed before Butcher kills most of them. With Butcher as a supe in Season 3, we can expect a fight between “The Boys” and team Payback, or at least Soldier Boy and Crimson Countess.
We also have another supe character, Gunpowder. In the comics, he is a member of the corrupt Teenage Kix. However, here he is, probably a new member of Payback or a standalone character brought over by Vought.
The Seven
A lot is going on with the seven in the trailer. They have their own internal conflicts, something that will further strain their story arcs. There is a palpable dysfunction among them.
Homelander is still losing his mind to the point of milking his cow. His obsession with milk, something that has no boundaries, is thus stressed again. That he is disturbed, is clearly visible. There is also a scene where he reminds himself to smile in front of the camera.
A-Train seems to be spearheading a civil rights movement. We see him attempting to bring a conflict to an end by offering the cops a can of Turbo Rush, an energy drink with Vought’s branding on it. In 2017, Pepsi released a similar short film commercial titled “Live for Now,” where Kendall Jenner offers a can of Pepsi to a cop in the same scenario. The commercial met widespread condemnation. This does suit the whole concept of Vought’s superhero business, one that will go to any extent for promotions (much like Pepsi).
Starlight is crying, probably due to something Hughie has said, or due to the way she is treated, or maybe some other reason. Basically, she is always hurt and crying for some or the other reason. As for Black Noir and Queen Maeve, we don’t get much. The Deep has seemingly reached the heights of fame, which is made visible in the trailer via the photoshoots. His obsession with coitus is still there, if not increased.
The one very important character that we don’t see in the trailer is Stormfront. She has lost her limbs but is still alive and being held in an undisclosed location. It is highly unlikely for her to die like that, and we cannot really take a person’s death for granted until we actually see them die. This is something that the “The Boys” series has put inside our minds. And we love it.
See More: ‘The Boys Presents: Diabolical’ Season 1: All Episodes, Explained
Overall, “The Boys” Season 3 will bring more action, the politics of superheroes, new supes, and a lot of palpable parody. The Season 3 arrives exclusively on Amazon Prime on June 3.
