A recent announcement from Amazon Prime Video spells troubles for fans of The Boys and the show's Season 4 premiere date.
Although The Boys Season 4 wrapped production in April 2023, the Hollywood strikes still had their impact on development. Some ADR voiceover work was still left to be done after filming, but it couldn't be completed due to the actors' strikes.
Amazon delivered the first trailer for Season 4 in December following the end of the actors' strike and the season finale for the Prime Video spin-off, Gen V. An official premiere date was not included, with only a promise of a 2024 release.
The Boys Season 4 Gets Disappointing Premiere Update
After a long wait for Invincible fans, Amazon Prime Video recently announced the animated superhero adaptation will return for the second half of Season 2 on March 14, with new episodes weekly until the finale on April 4.
Obviously, Amazon usually chooses to space out the releases for its major shows to avoid conflicts that could harm viewership and engagement. And lined up for the early months of 2024 already are Mr. & Mrs. Smith on February 2, Invincible Season 2 Part 2 from March 14 to April 4, and Fallout premiering on April 12.
Despite many predicting that The Boys Season 4 could premiere around March due to past trailer-to-premiere release windows, this packed coming months following the announcement of Invincible's upcoming return likely rules that out.
The Boys spin-off Gen V recently had its Season 1 finale debut on the same day as the Invincible Season 2 premiere. While this might leave some thinking The Boys might return on April 4 alongside the climax of Invincible's latest season, the arrival of the big-budget Fallout series just a week later probably rules that out.
As such, The Boys probably won't be back for Season 4 until May or even June, once Fallout is comfortably up and running or perhaps even close to finished.
When Will The Boys Season 4 Actually Release?
Fallout is set to run for eight episodes starting on April 12, which would put the finale on May 31 if it were to follow a traditional weekly release schedule. If Amazon were to place The Boys premiere somewhere near the end of Fallout as it did with Invincible after Gen V, Season 4 could potentially begin in late May.
But, more realistically, Amazon may well look to give Fallout space to breathe and to allow for a focused marketing campaign for The Boys Season 4. This seems to place the most likely window for new episodes to premiere in June.
Amazon is currently developing more projects in the twisted superhero universe, including The Boys Season 5, Gen V Season 2, and a new Mexico-set spin-off. It's currently unclear which will be the next, but most fans seem to have their bets on more tales with Godolkin University's finest coming next in Gen V Season 2.
The Boys Season 4 has yet to announce a premiere date, but it will debut exclusively on Amazon Prime Video, where the first three seasons are streaming.
