The series features an ensemble cast that includes Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Dominique McElligott, Jessie T. Usher, Chace Crawford, Laz Alonso, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara, Nathan Mitchell, Elisabeth Shue, Colby Minifie, Aya Cash, Claudia Doumit, Jensen Ackles, Cameron Crovetti, Susan Heyward, Valorie Curry, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

Intended to be a feature-length film trilogy, the comic book series adaptation began its development in 2008, with Adam McKay set to direct.

The Boys is set in a universe where superpowered individuals (referred to as "Supes") are recognized as heroes by the general public and work for Vought International, a powerful corporation that markets and monetizes them.

In the first season, after his girlfriend is accidentally killed by one of The Seven, led by the narcissistic and unstable Homelander (Antony Starr), Hughie Campbell (Jack Quaid) is enlisted by Billy Butcher (Karl Urban), who despises all superpowered beings, and joins the vigilante team known as The Boys.

As a conflict ensues between the two groups, Annie January / Starlight (Erin Moriarty), a young and hopeful heroine, is forced to face the truth about the heroes she admires after she joins The Seven.

[3] In the second season, on the run from the law, hunted by the Supes, and desperately trying to regroup and fight back against Vought, The Boys try to adjust to a new normal in hiding, with Butcher nowhere to be found.

[68] Amazon Studios also committed to a run of at least five seasons, in line with Kripke's plans,[72] hoping to replicate the success of hit genre dramas like Game of Thrones (2011–2019), Stranger Things (2016–present), and The Walking Dead (2010–2022).

[68] On April 30, 2018, it was reported that Dan Trachtenberg was hired to direct the first episode of the series, replacing Rogen and Goldberg, who dropped out due to scheduling conflicts but the duo would remain as executive producers.

"[101] The series takes place in a universe where most of the superpowered people (referred to as "Supes") pretend to be heroic to ensure that they are loved by the public, while working for Vought which is a company that monetizes and markets them, but in reality, outside their heroic personas, they are actually corrupt celebrities who abuse their powers out of selfishness for personal gain, which serves as a deconstruction of the superhero genre and the idealisms of heroism that they are supposed to represent in contrast to DC and Marvel.

[102][103] The series attempts to more realistically portray how superheroes would enmesh themselves into contemporary culture, with many of them having an influence as political figures, over-worshipped celebrities, and profitable marketing tools for a hyper-consumerist society.

"[114] Middle: Dominique McElligott, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, and Chace Crawford In December 2017, it was reported that Erin Moriarty had been cast in the lead role of Annie January / Starlight.

[17] In January 2018, it was reported that Antony Starr, Dominique McElligott, Chace Crawford, Jessie T. Usher, and Nathan Mitchell had joined the main cast.

[128] In June 2021, Miles Gaston Villanueva, Sean Patrick Flanery, and Nick Wechsler were cast as Supersonic, Gunpowder, and Blue Hawk, respectively, for the third season in undisclosed capacities.

[61][62][132] In December 2022, Rob Benedict and Elliot Knight joined the cast in undisclosed capacities for the fourth season,[133] alongside Rosemarie DeWitt, who was revealed to play Hughie's mom (Daphne Campbell).

Though the series was mainly shot in Toronto, it was confirmed that additional filming would take place across the Golden Horseshoe area, including Mississauga and Hamilton.

[68][148] Filming for the first season started on May 22, 2018, mainly in Toronto and at several tourist locations, such as Roy Thomson Hall, Yonge–Dundas Square, Lower Bay Station, and Sherbourne Common.

In order to make it look like New York City and create fictional places of the series universe such as the Seven Tower, some locations were digitally altered through CGI, including the interiors of several buildings.

[184] For the second season's soundtrack, Moriarty provides her own vocals for the song "Never Truly Vanish", which was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics.

One notable moment was Candace Cameron Bure's stance against LGBTQ+ representation in Hallmark Channel's Christmas films, which he found to be a telling source of exasperated satire.

[213][214] While promoting the fourth season in June 2024, Kripke described the series as a "story about the intersection of celebrity and authoritarianism and how social media and entertainment are used to sell fascism".

[218][219][220] Three months later, The Boys was planned to have all eight episodes of the first season released on Amazon Prime Video on July 26, 2019, but instead premiered just a few hours earlier despite keeping the former date as the official one.

[229] Upon the release of the season four finale, the title of the episode was retitled from "Assassination Run" to "Season Four Finale", following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump five days prior; a "viewer discretion advised" warning was added at the beginning of the episode, with Amazon, Sony Pictures Television and the producers of The Boys opposing real-world political violence and clarifying that "any scene or plotline similarities to these real-world events are coincidental and unintentional".

The website's critical consensus reads: "Though viewers' mileage may vary, The Boys' violent delights and willingness to engage in heavy, relevant themes are sure to please those looking for a new group of antiheroes to root for.

The website's critical consensus reads: "Managing to up the ante on what was already one of television's most audacious satires, The Boys' third season is both bracingly visceral and wickedly smart.

The website's critical consensus reads: "Boxing in the political arena with a bloodied smile, The Boys' fourth season is grim and even a little glum while holding up a cracked mirror towards modern society.

It confirmed The Boys had attracted 8 million total viewers in its first ten days of release, making it one of the most successful original programs on Prime Video.

[327] Filming of the series, titled Gen V, beginning at the University of Toronto in May 2022 and the Claireville Conservation Area, Brampton in July, intended for an October wrap.

[334][335][336] On October 3, 2020, Kripke confirmed that the in-universe pornographic superhero film scenes briefly glimpsed in the second season The Boys episode "Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker" had been produced in full, expressing interest in releasing them under the name Supe Porn to the fictional website of the same name (formerly registered to Sony Pictures),[337] as well as supposedly requesting Rogen, Goldberg, Starr and the other followers of his Twitter page to join him in petitioning Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Studios to allow the potential web series to be uploaded.

Matthew Edison, who portrays anchor Cameron Coleman—a parody of Fox News' Tucker Carlson—also makes appearances in the third and fourth seasons of the main series.

[345] On December 5, 2023, a second collaboration was announced for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, with A-Train and Firecracker joining the playable roster as part of the game's first seasonal content update.