‘The Boys’ season 4 clip pits Homeland against Butcher in tense face-off

Antony Starr as Homelander in The Boys season 3
(Image credit: Amazon)

Things are getting super tense on the “The Boys” season 4. In the first clip from the upcoming installment of Prime Video's superhero series, Billy Butcher and Homelander get into a (nonviolent) confrontation. As the battle between the Boys and the Seven heats up, this clip showcases a quiet moment that is nevertheless filled with seething resentment and rage, set in an empty commercial kitchen.

Butcher (Karl Urban) approaches Homelander’s son Ryan (Cameron Crovetti) with an offer to take him away from his father and the corrupting influence of Vought International, reminding Ryan that Homelander (Antony Starr) murdered someone right in front of him, as depicted in the third season finale. Butcher offers to take Ryan to Grace Mallory (Laila Robins) and then leave him alone. 

Ryan seems conflicted, but Homelander’s arrival quickly clarifies which side the impressionable (and increasingly superpowered) teen is on.

The Boys - Season 4 First Clip | Prime Video - YouTube The Boys - Season 4 First Clip | Prime Video - YouTube
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Homelander easily uses his powers to discern that Butcher is suffering from a terminal illness, as revealed last season. He taunts Butcher about his diagnosis, showing no signs of concern over whatever the Boys might be planning. He makes a joke about Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch, then confidently walks off with Ryan. Butcher is left alone to deal with his failure to convince his late wife’s son to join him, while Homelander is apparently excited to see a performance by washed-up ’90s alt-rock band Smash Mouth.

Given how renowned “The Boys” is for its over-the-top violence — as depicted in the full trailer for the fourth season — this clip is a sedate, subdued way to entice viewers to check out the season premiere. It’s a reminder that “The Boys” is about more than just outrageous moments that inspire social media chatter, but also a dark, satirical look at the toxic nature of superhero stories.

One of Prime Video’s most popular series, “The Boys” has already been renewed for a fifth season in advance of the fourth season premiere. “The Boys” season 4 will debut its first three episodes on June 13, with subsequent episodes premiering weekly.

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Josh Bell
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Josh Bell is a freelance writer and movie/TV critic based in Las Vegas. He's the former film editor of Las Vegas Weekly and has written about movies and TV for Vulture, Inverse, CBR, Crooked Marquee and more. With comedian Jason Harris, he co-hosts the podcast Awesome Movie Year.

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