Amazon’s series “The Boys,” shines a light on the dark side of superheroes. It has scored a solid fan base, but not everyone is happy about the action-packed horror-tinged show. Showrunner Eric Kripke has shared that he’s actually receiving threats now.
Kripke recently told Consequence of Sound: “[Regarding the threats], it’s only human nature to have to react to anger or hate directed right at you. I’m not gonna lie and say, ‘No, I think it’s funny.’ It affects me. It troubles me and everything. But I think it’s part of my job to not let it affect the work. And not let it force me to second guess myself and what I’m doing here. So, no, I take a moment, feel appropriately horrified, and then process my way past it. And get back to the work of writing.”
He went on to say, “And we have a very specific rule that we try to follow, which is, it was George Carlin who originally said it: ‘You always want to punch up. You never want to punch down.’ So, sometimes a joke will make us laugh, and we’ll love it. Then as I ruminate on it, I’ll see that we’re making fun of somebody who or something that actually doesn’t have a lot of power. We shouldn’t be doing that. We should always be punching up at the people who are more powerful than us and have more authority. I think that demonstrates a humanistic worldview. Seth Rogen said to me … and I really took it to heart, ‘You can really be as outrageous as you want as long as you really make it clear to the audience that your heart is in the right place.’ I feel like, by and large, that’s worked.”
The action-packed second season, which premiered back in September, doubled season 1’s numbers. And honestly, the series which pits a group of outcasts against superheroes with a serious dark side hidden from the public is bloody awesome!
While some people may find issues with “The Boys,” there is good news for fans, Amazon has fast-tracked a still-untitled spinoff series that will be set at a college exclusively for superheroes. It will explore the lives of the characters while they explore themselves and have the college experience: drama, love, sex, booze, rivalries, and the struggle of competing for the top contracts in top cities.
Written and executive produced by Craig Rosenberg who will also serve as showrunner, the spin-off will be executive produced by Eric Kripke and Seth Rogen along with Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, and Neal H. Moritz.
As for when we will see the return of “The Boys,” Kripke shared via social media that filming is set to begin early this year. It has also been announced that Claudia Doumit, who plays Congresswoman Victoria Neuman, has been moved up to a series regular.
If you haven’t watched the first two seasons, head to Amazon now and check it out. Here’s a look back at the season 2 trailer.
