10 Big Questions After The Boys Season 4's Ending

The following contains spoilers for The Boys season 4, now streaming on Prime Video

The Boys season 4’s finale leaves plenty of major questions open-ended heading into season 5. With season 5 confirmed to be the final season of the show, The Boys penultimate season finale set the stage for a potentially apocalyptic scenario for the titular anti-heroes. Although Victoria Neuman has been killed and can’t assume the presidency, it doesn’t stop the government from giving over unchecked authority to his Supe army, effectively making Homelander the President in all but name.

Meanwhile, the Boys have been captured by Vought, with only Butcher and Starlight avoiding apprehension. However, Butcher has embraced a dark path of his own. Using the stolen Supe virus and his new powers, Butcher has the means to bring down Homelander for good, even if it gets countless people killed in the process. On top of that, several characters reintroduced in season 4 are missing by the conclusion of the season, setting up potentially important roles for them to take in the show’s endgame. Here are all the biggest questions remaining after the ending of The Boys season 4.

10 What Will Homelander Do With Soldier Boy?

Soldier Boy Could Bring Down Homelander — Or Make Him Unstoppable

The post-credits scene of The Boys season 4 finale revealed Soldier Boy still in suspended animation after his recapture in season 3. With Homelander now aware of what became of his father, there are some important questions to consider about his potential role in season 5, especially considering Soldier Boy’s ability to negate the powers of other Supes. Homelander could take this opportunity to kill Soldier Boy before he could become a threat to his continued dominance of the United States.

Homelander could awaken Soldier Boy, potentially recruiting him to his Supe army or making peace with him. He could even simply leave Soldier Boy where he is, choosing instead to use him as a potential last resort. The post-credits scene teases Soldier Boy still has an important role to play in season 5, even if that role is currently unclear.

9 What Does Vought Need To Mind-Control Frenchie For?

There Must Be A Reason Vought Sent Cate After Frenchie

When Homelander’s Supe army goes into action and captures the Boys, things don’t look good for MM, Kimiko, or Hughie. While Butcher remains a rogue agent and Starlight is forced to leave Hughie behind to escape Cindy, Frenchie is caught by surprise when Cate Dunlap sneaks up on him. Using her mind-control powers, Cate is able to force Frenchie to accompany her elsewhere. Compared to the attacks on the rest of the group, it seems that Vought wants to be careful with Frenchie.

While this could have just been a means of capturing him without any additional struggle, it also suggests that Homelander and Sister Sage have plans for Frenchie. Given that he’s smart enough to recreate the Supe Virus on his own in little time, Frenchie could be a very dangerous asset for Vought. However, it remains unclear what they want him for, and how they intend to use him.

8 What Will The Supes Do To The Captured Boys?

Things Don’t Look Good For Hughie, MM, And Kimiko

Homelander has seized control of the United States by the end of the season, and vows to bring down Starlight and her allies. However, he’s secretly already done just that, with his Supe army quickly finding and detaining MM, Hughie, Kimiko, and Frenchie. While they may have a different use for Frenchie in mind, the fates of the others are now firmly in Homelander’s hands. The villains could detain them as a means of trying to interrogate them about missing heroes like Butcher and Starlight.

Homelander could use them as bait to lure those two out into the open. They could decide to take some revenge on the heroes for all the troubles they’ve dropped on the Seven over the years. The fates of Hughie, Kimiko, and MM are still very much up in the air by the end of season 4, and could set up a tragic ending for all three if they can’t escape the Supe Army.

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The Boys: All 11 Supes In Homelander’s Army Explained

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7 Where Did A-Train Go After He Fled The Seven?

A-Train’s Redemption Arc Might Not Be Done Yet

A-Train’s decision to help the Boys throughout season 4 eventually led the super-speedster to go on the run, fleeing the likely wraith of Homelander. The season 4 finale confirms that A-Train is more or less off the grid, with the Seven instead turning their attention to other potential leaks that could damage their reputation. However, A-Train could make a return in season 5 and play an important part in the final stretch of the show.

A-Train’s redemption arc hit a new height with his decision to save Hughie, Annie, and Butcher during confrontations with the Seven, and he could continue that by assisting Annie more. There’s still a huge question surrounding where he went and what he might be planning on doing next. A-Train could complete his redemption by helping turn the tide against Homelander, or could backslide into his worse qualities to save himself. It all sets up A-Train as a compelling wildcard going into season 5.

6 What Will Ashley’s Powers Be In The Boys Season 5?

Ashley Is Finally Getting A Super Powered Boost

One of the biggest lingering plot threads in the finale of The Boys fourth season is the fate of Ashley. The long-suffering PR-head for Vought, Ashley has been increasingly aware of the danger she’s in by remaining with the company. When the Seven start eliminating people from across the company who could be problems in the future, Ashley barely dodges death long enough to take Compound V.

The episode cuts away before it can reveal what exactly her powers will be, leaving audiences guessing to what kind of role Ashley will have in season 5. It’s possible that she can now fully join Homelander’s army, or that she could follow A-Train’s example and try to escape their grasp. Ashley may be a minor player in The Boys, but an empowered version of her could cause real trouble for Homelander.

5 How Will Zoe Neuman Factor Into Gen V Season 2?

Zoe Could Want Revenge For Her Mother’s Fate

Zoe Neuman is quietly one of The Boys‘ most intriguing wildcards. After the death of her mother at the hands of Butcher, Zoe is sent to the Red River Institute. The Vought-backed Supe orphanage has a dark history in the world of The Boys, and it could become a more dangerous location in light of Homelander’s plans for a Supe Army. Zoe Neuman’s powers make her a particularly dangerous Supe, and she could easily go in different directions in season 5.

The orphanage could indoctrinate her into Homelander’s army, turning her into an enemy of the public and the Boys. She could end up resisting that kind of control and become a thorn in Homelander’s side. Zoe could also go directly after Butcher, seeking revenge for the death of her mother in much the same fashion Butcher has dedicated himself to killing Homelander for what he did to Becca. Zoe is a voitile wildcard that could impact the ultimate fate of The Boys titular anti-heroes.

4 Where Did Stan Edgar Go —- And What Is He Planning?

Stan Edgar Is Missing, And Could Have Some New Plans In Store

Stan Edgar’s return in The Boys season 4 was an important if brief one, setting up a more important role in season 5. At the end of his return in “Beware the Jabberwock, My Son,” Victoria ensured his escape from federal custody. Edgar has remained off the board since then, inviting plenty of questions of where he could have gone and what he’s planning next. Edgar could return in season 5 seeking to use his powerful connections to undermine Homelander’s support among the wealthy upper class.

This could make him quietly one of the most dangerous threats to Homelander’s continued rule of the United States. However, Victoria’s murder and Zoe’s fate could leave Edgar driven more by revenge over the targeting of his family, setting him up to also seek revenge against Butcher and the rest of the Boys. Given his freedom was ensured in season 4, it’s clear Edgar still has a role to play in The Boys — but it’s not clear what that is yet.

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3 Where Does Ryan Go After He Runs Away From Butcher?

Ryan’s Decisions Could Decide How The Boys Ends

Ryan’s conversation with Butcher and Mallory in the season 4 finale went as poorly as it probably could have. Lashing out in anger, Ryan accidently killed Mallory before leaving Butcher to his own devices. Ryan’s fate after this turn of events remains a mystery, meaning his role in season 5 is one of the show’s biggest questions. Ryan could return to Homelander and become the heir apparent to a Supe dynasty.

Mallory’s death could have shaken Ryan to his core and pushed him away from that potentially dark path, setting him up to become a hero who could fight Homelander to a potential stand-still. Ryan may even remove himself from the situation entirely and go back into hiding, similar to how he was raised in the first place. Ryan’s too important for season 5 to ignore, so his role in the show will likely impact the endgame of the entire series.

2 Could Becca Influence Butcher Away From Kessler?

There Could Still Be Some Hope Left For Butcher

With terminal cancer leaving him on death’s door for much of season 4, Butcher has spent the last eight episodes dealing with two conflicting voices in his head. The darker aspect of Butcher is Kessler, a personification of the tumor in his brain that endorses Butcher’s worst impulses and argues for the eradication of the Supes at any cost. By contrast, visions of his dead wife Becca have argued that Butcher needs to help Ryan and not become a monster himself.

While Butcher embraces Kessler by the end of the season, it’s possible that remnants of Becca might remain within his mind. If so, they could ultimately influence him in season 5 and try to keep him from going through with his plans to wipe out countless people with the Supe virus. This could be the key to Butcher finding even a sliver of redemption now that he’s embraced a dark path to become one of The Boys most dangerous threats.

1 What Is Sister Sage’s Phase 2?

The Boys‘ Final Stretch Could See Sister Sage Remake The Entire World

Sister Sage has been the ultimate strategist throughout season 4 of The Boys, with her machinations ultimately winning out in the end. Although there were some “curveballs,” Sage was able to work around them and ensure the near-total victory of the Supes. The Seven are united behind Homelander, the government has given him unprecedented authority, and their enemies are either captured or on the run.

However, the season finale teased that Sister Sage is far from done, as she cryptically references “phase two” while speaking with Homelander. This teases a far more expansive plan from the genius, whose ideas could end up remaking the entire societal structure of The Boys world. Sister Sage’s full plans will likely be revealed in full in season 5, and remains one of the big questions that fans of The Boys will be wondering about until the next batch of episodes.

The Boys

The Boys is a superhero/dark comedy satire series created by Eric Kripke based on the comic series of the same name. Set in a “what-if” world that reveres superheroes as celebrities and gods who experience minimal repercussions for their actions. However, one group of vigilantes headed by a vengeance-obsessed man named Billy Butcher will fight back against these super-charged “heroes” to expose them for what they are.

Cast

Karl Urban , Jack Quaid , Antony Starr , Erin Moriarty , Jessie T. Usher , Laz Alonso , Chace Crawford , Tomer Capone , Karen Fukuhara

Release Date

July 26, 2019

Writers

Eric Kripke

Directors

Erin Moriarty , Karen Fukuhara , Karl Urban , Jack Quaid , Eric Kripke

Showrunner

Eric Kripke

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