Eric Kripke says the world is getting more like The Boys, not the other way around

It must be incredibly weird to satirize a world that borders, daily on the brink of the ridiculous. That’s the takeaway we got from an interview recently given to Variety by The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke, who noted that any similarities between his series, in which violent celebrities are routinely rewarded for following their most antisocial impulses, and our own day-to-day existence, is not his fault.

“It’s not like we were designing it to reflect reality,” said Kripke, who was sitting down with Variety last week alongside series star Antony Starr. “But we happen to be making a show about violent authoritarians who present as celebrities. Then suddenly, the world changed to reflect the show, not just in the States – all over the world. Suddenly we found ourselves making one of the most current shows on television.”

For what it’s worth, Kripke says he and his writers eventually decided to embrace the satire the universe kept serving them up on a plate, explaining why the show veered more clearly into political storylines in its most recent season. “We realized that we felt an obligation really, and an opportunity, to say, ‘Well, let’s make a really current show, make it reflect reality and let it be a satirical take on reality as much as possible.'” A lot of that, of course, gets filtered through Starr’s character Homelander, who can back up his desperate need for attention, validation, and adulation with an often gut-wrenching ability to dish out violence. Which is not going to make things any more pleasant when the show’s fifth and final season rolls around, per Kripke. “The more Homelander gets what he wants, the less happy he is,” the series creator notes. “And that really frustrates him. You can expect a real ratcheting up of stakes and emotion, and The Boys really have their work cut out for them.”

[via Collider]