The superheroes-on-screen landscape is in an interesting place. The future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is as ambiguous and rumor mill-worthy as its ever been; the DC brand in 2019 is limited to the upcoming “Joker” and a handful of reliable TV mainstays in “Arrow,” “The Flash,” “Supergirl” and others; and the recent cancellation of “Jessica Jones” on Netflix hammered the final nail into the coffin of a relatively short-lived partnership with Marvel.
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All that is to say: If a new live-action property was looking to grab the attention of an audience hungry for superpowered action, now would be the time to do it.
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Enter “The Boys”—a new Amazon series from Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg jockeying for position in a pop culture world where superheroes reign supreme. The show is looking to throw a wrench in the superhero archetype as we know it, presenting a world where idyllic heroes have begun to abuse their powers, focusing on the titular “Boys” who must hold them in check.
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The show’s synopsis on Amazon teases the show as “an irreverent take” on everything we thought we knew about superheroes, and – true to the Rogen and Goldberg’s sensibilities – the first trailer for the show released back in April showed off a very NSFW personality that no one is going to be mistaking for the squeaky-clean MCU. Think “Watchmen” mixed with James Gunn’s “Super.”
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Karl Urban (“Star Trek”) leads a cast that also includes the likes of Chace Crawford (“The Covenant,” “Gossip Girl”), Jennifer Esposito (“Crash,” “Summer of Sam”) and Dominique McElligott (“House of Cards,” “Moon”).
“The Boys” was at Comic-Con this weekend, but they saved their trailer for today. The show is scheduled to hit Amazon on July 26.
