The following contains spoilers for the first two episodes ofThe BoysSeason 4, “Department of Dirty Tricks” and “Life Among The Septics,” now streaming on Prime Video
Summary
The new season ofThe Boys, Prime Video’s brutal superhero satire ,has already teased two new MCU parodies for season 4. Two big additions to season 4’s cast are Susan Heyward’s Sister Sage and Valorie Curry’s Firecracker join the full cast as new allies to Homelander. These aren’t the only potential “heroes” who may appear in the season, though. The show’s extensive and often purposefully depraved take on the superhero genre has given the creatives behind-the-scenes a lot of material to play with.
Garth Ennis and Derrick Robinson’s original comic givesThe Boysa plethora of targets to poke fun at and occasionally fit into their overarching story about power and corruption. Two other Supes mentioned aren’t just in the original story, but are also direct parodies of some pretty big heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This could just be a fun reference to relatively minor characters from the comics. However, givenThe Boys' history of turning parodies into something unexpectedly brutal,it could also tease how new Marvel parodies could potentially jointhe cast for season 4 ofThe Boys.
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The Boys Season 4 Teases “Web Weaver” & “Doctor Peculiar”
HowThe BoysSets Up A Bunch Of New “Superheroes” For Season 4
The Boysseason 4 teases new characters who are clear parodies of Spider-Man and Doctor Strange. In the aftermath of Maeve’s disappearance, Starlight’s departure, and Black Noir’s death inThe Boysseason 3, the Seven are down three members. Although they quickly recruita new Black Noir replacementand to keep the death of the original a secret from the public, the team is also forced to look to other prospective recruits.Among the candidates are Web Weaver and Doctor Peculiar,who are implied to be direct riffs on some notable MCU heroes.
Web Weaver is a clear reference to Spider-Man, with the character likely possessing a similar web-swinging characteristic. However, since it’sThe Boys, it wouldn’t be surprising to see that aspect played up for some gross gags, similar to how other superhero riffs likeThe Venture Bros.parodied Spider-Man. Meanwhile, Doctor Peculiar seems to be a send-up of Doctor Strange, Marvel’s master of the mystic arts. What makes Doctor Peculiar an interesting prospect is the lack of clear magic in the world ofThe Boys, suggesting the character is either faking any magical abilities or is an outlier within the setting.
Who Web Weaver & Doctor Peculiar Are In The Boys' Comics
Web Weaver And Doctor Peculiar Have Minor But Important Roles In The Original Story
Web Weaver and Doctor Peculiar don’t have much of a role in the originalThe Boyscomic, but they do serve important minor parts in the overarching story. Web Weaver is actually dead by the events ofThe Boys, having been targeted and dispatched years prior by Billy Butcher and Greg Mallory. In the spin-off limited seriesThe Boys: Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker, Butcher’s origins are expanded upon, which confirms that their successful defeat of Web Weaver actually convinced the government to invest in an anti-supe program.This directly led to the creation of the Boys within the comic universe.
Doctor Peculiar actually appeared inThe Boys#56 as an informant for Billy. A supe who runs a brothel for other supes, Doctor Peculiar notably keeps records of all his clients, expressly to protect his workers from the more violent clients. Although Doctor Peculiar only appears briefly, a leak about Jack from Jupiter’s time at his establishment sets off a domino effect that builds directly to the Boys and the Seven going to open war and the finale of the series.
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The Boys season 4 looks more violent than ever, making it the perfect time to give one long running supes story a definitive conclusion.
How The Boys' Web Weaver & Doctor Peculiar Can Appear Properly In Season 4
How Web Weaver And Doctor Peculiar Could Become More Than Just Easter Eggs
The possible inclusion of Web Weaver and Doctor Peculiar intoThe Boysspeaks to the expanded scope of the series. Their minor roles in the original comics mean they’d be easily tweaked to fit into the specific narrative of the Prime Video show.The TV version ofThe Boyshas already seriously tweaked many of the major charactersand plotlines of the comic. This could allow the show to produce darkly comic takes on Spider-Man and Doctor Strange that fits better into the overarching story of Homelander’s attempts to force a supe-controlled world.
There are lots of ways that could happen, ranging from new allies to the Seven to disposable enemies for the Boys to kill. The show could take inspiration from Doctor Peculiar’s role in the comics and make them a resource for the Boys.They could even just be an easter egg referenceto the extended world of twisted heroes within the world ofThe Boys. The show benefits from that ability to pull from a wealth of characters to parody superheroes and further the show’s central story, and it could set up the next Supes show up inThe Boys.
The Boys
Cast
The Boys is a gritty and subversive take on the superhero genre, focusing on a group of vigilantes who confront powerful superheroes abusing their abilities, exploring themes of corruption and moral ambiguity in a world where heroes are not always what they seem.
