As a franchise, The Boys already has two spin-offs at some stage of production on Amazon Prime. But Eric Kripke, one of the architects of this ever-expanding satirical universe, says there may be more to come, but he wants to build slowly. Here’s what is known so far.
Boys On the Side
“We have a couple more scripts [for shows] that we’re talking about at various stages,” says Kripke.
After a foray into animation shorts with The Boys Presents: Diabolical released earlier this year, Kripke confirms that the next spin-off will be centered around new characters in college. And while all the new college stories are coming-of-age tales, this college is run by Vought, so “all kinds of f**ked up s**t is going on.”
Meanwhile, Diabolical has been very well received by critics (the series currently holds a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes), and features eight 12–15-minute episodes created by eight different development teams in different animation styles. Some episodes told stories related to the The Boys proper, while others were independent of the series. The second season of Diabolical has not been announced, but Kripke says he is looking forward to more.
If Season 3 of The Boys–which premiered on June 3–works as well as season 2 did, the success could usher in even more spin-offs.
Back to School: The Boys College Spin-Off
As a Marvel-flavored satire featuring a secret supervillain’s machoism and testosterone, The Boys has already accomplished much of what is needed to justify a new spin-off, which may be why Amazon greenlit the college series. The live-action spin-off went into production in May and follows a group of students enrolled in a college for supes run by the sneaky and evil Vought cabal. Students will compete for endorsement deals and other awards given to superheroes worldwide. But knowing Vought and The Boys, it’s unlikely to be a friendly competition, to say the least.
Are the Creators Milking The Boys?
The last thing Kripke wants is to squeeze the franchise for all its worth. “We are working hard not to […] sellout,” he said. Instead, the team considers each episode individually, to keep things fresh, which they hope will prevent The Boys fatigue.
According to an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Kripke wants to take it slow. “If the college show goes well, there may be more [spin-off] desires. But I don’t think I’m in a hurry as it only works if each show is entirely different from the next one and maintains the same level of quality as The Boys. If not, what is the point of doing it? “
The Future of The Boys
So far, the “one step at a time” slow roll game plan has paid off. With the animated series so well received, Amazon is betting hard on Kripke, which has been a good investment to date.
While the The Boys Presents: Diabolical‘s animated format is great for inter-season filler, there’s a lot of potential for this live-action spin-off, and a lot of risk. Only time and the premiere will tell if that risk paid off.
The college spin-off has no announced premiere date, but Diabolical and new episodes from Season 3 are streaming now on Prime Video.
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