What we know so far about season 4 of 'The Boys'

• Warning: There are spoilers ahead for season three of Prime Video's "The Boys."
• The series got renewed for a fourth season in June 2022. 
• Showrunner Eric Kripke told Insider that specific moments from the season three finale tease what's to come.

Season three of "The Boys" may be over, but there's plenty more that fans can look forward to when the Prime Video show returns.

The show got renewed for a fourth season in June and concluded its third season on Thursday night. If you paid attention while watching the latest season, you may have noticed some loose threads and new themes, which will be part of season four. 

Here's what we know so far about season four of "The Boys."

Black Noir may be dead, but the actor portraying him will return

Since the show's premiere in July 2019, actor Nathan Mitchell has played the mysterious supe. Black Noir's face was finally seen on-screen in season three flashbacks, but it was "Superman & Lois" star Fritzy-Klevans Destine who portrayed the character.

This was an intentional casting choice. 

Although Homelander (Antony Starr) murdered Black Noir by ripping his intestines out in the season three finale, showrunner Eric Kripke recently confirmed that Mitchell will return.

"A character who is completely silent and in a black mask can be recast," he told Entertainment Weekly, adding that Mitchell will portray "a different character who wears the Black Noir suit." 

"It's definitely not the last we've seen of Black Noir as a hero," he said. "It's just that the guy who was inside [the Noir suit] in season three, he's gone. But we have Nathan playing a really interesting and hilarious character who wears the suit next season."

"We'll explore it as the season goes on, but Nathan plays a whole new character."

Victoria Neuman's agenda will play a big part in season 4 

The scene in which the Boys found out that Victoria (Claudia Doumit) had been selected as Dakota Bob's (Jim Beaver) VP pick sets up her arc for season four. Her intentions, beyond perhaps wanting as much power and influence as possible, are still unclear.

Kripke told Insider that her storyline was inspired by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson's comic book series of the same name. Later in the comics, one of the major plots involves Neuman being a VP and conspiring to become president.

"Even though we've taken a roundabout way to get there, we've sort of manipulated those chess pieces into position so we can start telling that story," Kripke said. 

"The stakes couldn't possibly be higher because you have this secret supe in the White House with an agenda and is just hungry for power," he said. "A superhero in the Oval Office, I think, would be really destructive for a lot of reasons. The Boys have their work cut out for them next year."

The season 3 finale cliffhanger sets up a major theme that'll be addressed

In the final scene, Homelander murdered a Starlight supporter in broad daylight to the applause of his followers. 

Kripke told Insider that moment teases "what the Boys are gonna be up against next year."

"It's a hint of one of our big themes in season four, which is society as a whole is fracturing into these two factions and no one's listening to each other and the threat of violence just gets worse and worse every day," he said. "It's an appetizer of what all these superheroes are gonna be doing to society in season four."

Homelander and Butcher's battle over Ryan will continue in the next season

After the big battle at Vought Tower, Ryan (the son of Homelander and Butcher's late wife Becca) chose Homelander over Karl Urban's Butcher.

In the aforementioned cliffhanger, Homelander introduced Ryan to the world and the child smiled when he saw the positive reaction to his dad killing a Starlight fan. 

Butcher has 12 to 18 months to live as a result of his use of V24, but he's going to try to figure out how to honor his promise to Becca about keeping Ryan safe. 

"A lot of the season will be a battle over Ryan," Kripke told E! News, "because if Homelander ends up raising and influencing the kids that's basically a second Homelander with apocalyptic stakes."

The showrunner also told Entertainment Weekly that just because Ryan chose Homelander, it doesn't mean that things are far from over. 

"He's still Becca's kid and there's still a shot that Butcher can pull him into the light," Kripke said.

"One of the concerns of season four will really be this tug of war over Ryan, as both men really try to get a grip on him," he continued. "So I think, if anything, we're just hinting at the danger of what would happen if Butcher loses that fight."

The release date for season 4 hasn't been announced yet

Kripke confirmed to Variety that writing is currently underway and filming begins in late August. That means season four would likely premiere on Prime Video sometime in 2023. 

"It's super interesting and fun and really, really emotionally rich," he said. "Probably as emotionally complicated as we've ever done. So far, that's been my big takeaway. Everyone is really facing their core issues in a way that's pretty exciting, a very character-driven season."

He shared similar comments in an interview with Insider, saying that his plan for season four is to continue exploring "the core trauma" that defines each character. 

"I'm really pleased with what the room is coming up with so far for season four," he said.