The Boys is an Amazon Prime Video superhero satire series created by Eric Kripke, based on the comic book series by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson published between 2006 and 2012. Set in a world where superheroes — called Supes — are not altruistic protectors but corporate products owned and managed by the powerful conglomerate Vought International, the show follows a ragtag group of vigilantes called The Boys who are determined to expose and destroy the Supes' carefully curated public image. The group is led by the rage-fueled Billy Butcher (Karl Urban), who has deeply personal reasons to destroy Vought, and Hughie Campbell (Jack Quaid), a mild-mannered young man whose girlfriend is killed by the superpowered speedster A-Train in an incident Vought moves immediately to suppress and monetize.

Opposing The Boys is The Seven, Vought's premier super team, led by Homelander (Antony Starr), a Superman analog whose public persona of patriotism and wholesome American strength conceals a personality of terrifying narcissism, emotional immaturity, and frightening capacity for violence when not observed by cameras. Starr's performance as Homelander became one of the most discussed and celebrated character portrayals in prestige television — the character functions as a pointed satire of celebrity culture, American exceptionalism, and the weaponization of performative patriotism, while also being genuinely, uncomfortably funny. The supporting cast includes Erin Moriarty as Annie January / Starlight, a genuinely idealistic Supe who joins The Seven and encounters the full horror of what that membership entails.

The Boys premiered on July 26, 2019, and became one of Prime Video's most-watched original series within days of its release. Running for four seasons through 2024 — with creator Eric Kripke confirming Season 4 as the final one — the series was praised throughout for consistently escalating its satirical ambition and refusing to soften its targets. Antony Starr received Emmy nominations for his portrayal of Homelander and the character became a cultural touchstone: a figure simultaneously mocked, feared, and uncomfortably recognizable as a satire of real-world celebrity and political performance. A critically acclaimed spinoff, Gen V (2023), expanded the universe into a college setting.