The Boys is, alongside Invincible, one of Amazon Prime Video’s most popular superhero series, and, oddly, the streaming service is letting the show end with its fifth season. While there are already some spinoffs of The Boys that have been announced, they will probably never be as popular as the mainline series. So, Prime is undoubtedly looking for a way to bring The Boys back, and I think I know how they can do it.
The Boys was a massive hit upon its release, with Prime Video quickly deciding to adapt the entirety of the comic book story. While it has taken a lot of creative liberties, the story of The Boys TV show at least fits into the mold of the comic story, meaning that it was clear that season 5 would be the last season. Now that The Boys season 5 is here, it is still confirmed to be the conclusion of the show. While there is a chance that The Boys could never return again, Prime Video could easily bring the show back in a few years via this method.
The mainline The Boys comic series ended in 2012, but it wasn’t gone forever, as it returned in 2020. June 2020 saw the release of the first issue of Dear Becky, an eight-episode epilogue to The Boys that was released in conjunction with the TV show’s second season. The show explores what happens after the explosive ending to the original comic series, with it featuring a few returning characters from the initial run.
Dear Becky is set twelve years after the events of The Boys, with it picking up as Hughie prepares to marry Starlight. Before they get married, Hughie is mailed the diary of the late Billy Butcher. Upon reading it, Hughie realizes that it contains Butcher’s writings regarding how he felt in the lead-up to the end of The Boys, giving context to the atrocities he committed at the end of the series. Hughie has to relive the trauma of his time with the team as he reads the journal, while he also attempts to uncover who sent the book to him.
The story of Dear Becky is fairly small, meaning that it could be adapted in only a few episodes. It isn’t enough to warrant an entire spinoff series, meaning that if it does happen, a short revival of The Boys is the best way to adapt it. Since Hughie is the protagonist of The Boys, it would be nice for the continuation of the show to mainly focus on him and Starlight, while also exploring the trauma that Butcher caused them. This is an idea that the show is already exploring, and a Dear Becky adaptation could cap this off perfectly.
There is a chance that Dear Becky could be loosely adapted at the end of The Boys season 5, with Hughie receiving Butcher’s book at the very end of the show. However, if this doesn’t happen, it is the perfect way for Prime Video to continue the original series. It would be best if the streaming service waits a few years before bringing The Boys back for Dear Becky, as letting the actors naturally age and giving audiences some time away from the characters would make the epilogue’s emotions hit even harder.
Dear Becky isn’t the only supplemental The Boys comic that Prime Video could use to revive the series, as another perfect option is Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker. The spin-off is a six-issue series that was released during 2011, as the main comic series was nearing its end. While some of the story takes place during the events of The Boys, most of it is a prequel, meaning that it can be adapted anytime after the conclusion of season 5.
Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker is an origin story for Billy Butcher, exploring how he became the man he is. It follows his time in the Marines, the death of his wife, his recruitment by the CIA, and his time founding the Boys. This would be an incredibly compelling story, helping to flesh out Butcher’s story after the events of The Boys finale.
Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker seems like a safer bet for Prime Video, as it focuses on Butcher and is a more action-packed story that directly ties into the main series. Prequels are always popular, and if the streaming service doesn’t want to make a sequel to The Boys, Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker is the perfect pick for a continuation.
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