Still reeling from the crazy ending of "The Boys" Season 3, we've seen some teases so far for Season 4 that it's shaping up to be even more confusing. However, Prime Video has already confirmed that Homelander, Billy Butcher and the rest of the crew will be back in town, but no word yet on when the new season will air.
Based on the production schedule of the previous season, "The Boys" Season 4 is expected to be released in mid to late 2023 at the earliest. Until then, viewers will have to settle for gritty anti-heroes, over-the-top gore, and dark humor somewhere.
If you're anything like us, you're understandably tired of waiting, but while you're counting the days until "The Boys" Season 4 is released, there are other great series available on the best streaming services (including Max and Netflix). Here are seven such shows like "The Boys.
If you like "The Boys'" subversive, gritty take on superheroes, you'll love "Preacher. Written by Garth Ennis (who also co-wrote the comic for "The Boys"), "Preacher" is a Christian spotlight. Jesse Custer (Dominic Cooper) is a small-town preacher whose life is turned upside down when he becomes inexplicably possessed by a mysterious heavenly force that can control anyone who can hear him.
This turn of events causes Jesse to experience a crisis of faith, and the disillusioned preacher literally sets out on a journey to find God. Accompanying him are his trigger-happy ex-lover Tulip (Ruth Negga) and alcoholic vampire Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun). The group meets a cast of eccentric characters from heaven and hell who try to stop them in their tracks.
Watch on Prime Video
HBO's Watchmen (not to be confused with the film of the same name) is a sequel to Alan Moore's award-winning DC Comics series. Set more than 30 years after the original, the film depicts the new exploits of an inhuman vigilante in an alternate timeline where superheroes exist and world history has changed dramatically. Angela Aber (Regina King) masquerades as Sister Knight to stop a white supremacist group called Seventh Cavalry, who have twisted the anti-hero Rorschach's ravings in Watchmen and launched a war against minorities and the police.
The show reintroduces vigilante billionaire Adrian Veidt (Jeremy Irons). He struggles to make sense after completing his master plan to avert World War III at the end of the original comic. The god-like Dr. Manhattan also makes an appearance, with several groups vying to locate him and use his power for their own purposes.
Despite only running for one season, Watchmen is often considered one of the greatest superhero shows of all time. Like "The Boys," it explores major social issues such as racism and right-wing extremism through the lens of caped crusaders, whose personal struggles and shortcomings take center stage as they fight for the greater good. Unfortunately, a "Watchmen" Season 2 will never be produced, but the limited series ends in a way that makes it a satisfying and complete story in its own right.
Watch on Max
Just as "The Boys" is known for its shocking moments, "Invincible" pulls no punches in its intense and gory moments. The Prime Video animated series for adults is the coming-of-age story of Mark Grayson (voiced by Steven Yeun), whose father is the most powerful superhero the world has ever known, Omni Man (voiced by J.K. Simmons).
At age 17, Mark must learn to develop his own powers and learn to control them while balancing his normal life and living in the shadow of his father, who is basically the equivalent of the homelander of this world. As Mark forges his own path to becoming his own hero, he discovers that his father is not the knight on the shining white horse that he appears to be.
Things take a seriously sinister turn in the last few episodes, with gruesome but powerful scenes that will stay with you long after the show is over. It's an impressive twist on the superhero trope. I can't wait for season 2.
Watch on Prime Video
If you like Found Family. The Umbrella Academy is another show that looks at superheroes through a darker, more down-to-earth lens. Based on the comic of the same name by Gerard Way, the show follows the Hargreaves family. The Hargreaves family consists of seven children born with superpowers due to mysterious supernatural occurrences and adopted by eccentric billionaire Sir Reginald Hargreaves. Reginald raises them into the Umbrella Academy, a crime-fighting team, but as they grow up, the group disintegrates and grows apart due to interpersonal conflicts.
The first season begins after Reginald's untimely death brings the estranged siblings back together. The family must unite to solve the mystery surrounding their father's death and save the world. That is, if they don't strangle each other first.
The series takes several weird and wonderful turns, but at its heart it is a story about a dysfunctional family bound together by trauma, with conflicting personalities getting in the way of genuine feelings of caring for each other. Those with siblings will quickly become familiar with the childish bickering and heartwarming scenes that come and go.
Watch on Netflix
Harley Quinn is an irreverent and epic adult animated series about what life is like after she, a clown princess of crime, finally kicks the Joker to the curb. As she sets out to punish herself, she forms Poison Ivy, Clayface, Dr. Psycho and King Shark and Gotham's newest supervillain crew.
Filled with foul-mouthed, over-the-top violence and hilarious meta-commentary, Harley Quinn is one of the most engaging of all superhero shows. It's a bizarre but hilarious ride that no one escapes ridicule. Harley Quinn takes aim at every superhero trope and at DC's most iconic characters, especially Batman.
View in Max
James Gunn's "The Peacemaker" is a hilarious, action-packed film that pokes fun at right-wing ideology. Fans of "The Boys," with its gore, humor, and social commentary, will love this film.
As the series explores the character's life after the events of Suicide Squad, John Cena reprises his role as the Peacemaker. The Peacemaker, slightly aggravated by his injuries in the film, joins forces with A.R.G.U.S., the mysterious black ops unit that founded the Suicide Squad. They are on a mission to defeat the butterfly-like creatures that are taking over human bodies around the world.
Peacemaker's lack of compassion and belief in achieving peace at any cost initially led the team to recruit him. However, the events of Suicide Squad left a deep impression on him and forced him to confront his distorted ethics. The film, which is rich in comedic relief, is also an interesting study of a morally ambiguous character.
See it on Max
If you haven't seen it yet, "The Sandman" is a must-see for comics fans. Created by Neil Gaiman, the Sandman comic combines quirky characters and dark comedy to create a brainy take on a fantasy story. The show embodies this same esprit de corps.
"The Sandman" follows the trials and tribulations of Morpheus, who is bound and imprisoned in the human world by occult rituals; after 100 years of captivity, Morpheus escapes and embarks on a journey to find what was taken from him, regain his powers, and restore order to his dream world. Tom Sturridge, who plays Morpheus, captures the essence of the character so accurately that it seems as if Dream has leapt from the pages of a comic book.
Although more fantastical than "The Boys," the dark blend of supernatural and drama is portrayed in the same tone.
Watch on Netflix
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