The Boys Creator Talks About His Aim To Avoid "Edgelord Material For Incels"

Eric Kripke, showrunner of Prime Video's The Boys, has reaffirmed his commitment to steering the series clear of what he calls "edgelord material for incels." In a recent Variety interview, Kripke acknowledged the show's penchant for never-subtle satire, but underlined his aim to avoid pandering to controversial stereotypes.

Acknowledging that the original comic is "very, very male oriented," Kripke emphasized his early vision for The Boys as a universally appealing series, stating "I want something for everybody." This approach led him to bolster the roles of female characters from the outset.

An example of this inclusive approach is Firecracker, portrayed by Valorie Curry in Season 4, who embodies a caricature of extreme personalities like Marjorie Taylor Greene. Kripke explained, "You had [President Donald] Trump, but now you have these Trump spawn that are trying to outdo each other for how outrageous and sexualized and gun-toting and slavishly obedient they can be." He emphasized that characters like Firecracker are a deliberate departure from the comic's potentially divisive content, aimed at broadening the show's appeal without catering to fringe elements.

Despite both the show and comic's reputation for provocative social commentary on superhero and fandom culture, Kripke stressed his intention not to glorify extremism or appeal to incels. "We don't want to cater to the edgelord culture that glorifies extremism or appeals to incels. It's about pushing boundaries responsibly," Kripke said.

Season 4 of The Boys premiered on June 13, with subsequent episodes airing weekly until July 18. Kripke recently announced that Season 5 will mark the series' conclusion. For more insights into the critical reception of Season 4 so far, you can read our review here, and get a more comprehensive look at the critical consensus here.