The clock is ticking for Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) in the fourth season of Amazon’s superhero hit The Boys. His excessive use of Temp V last season caused a deadly tumor to grow inside him. Now he only has a few months to live.
After the first episodes of season 4, fans have to ask themselves the question: Does The Boys really go through with Butcher’s inevitable death or will the Amazon series find a loophole to avert the fate of the main character at the last second? With episode 4, a popular theory has now been shattered.
Warning, spoilers follow:
Can Billy Butcher heal himself with Compound V? The Boys Season 4 says: No
In the episode Wisdom of the Ages Billy Butcher catches his protégé Hughie (Jack Quaid) with a dose of Compound V. He had it stolen from Homelander’s possession with the help of A-Train (Jessie T. Usher) in order to turn his brain-dead father (Simon Pegg) into a Supe and thus save him.
During the confrontation, Hughie says what many The Boys fans are thinking and hoping: Why doesn’t Butcher just take a dose of Compound V and maybe cure his brain tumor? At least the Supe transformation activates self-healing powers in many test subjects. But Butcher unfortunately has a devastating answer ready.
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The Boys
Billy Butcher reveals that he already tried it myself a few months ago – without success. An injection of Compound V could not save him. Instead, his situation only worsened and his lifespan was shortened further. This rescue theory has thus been refuted and hope for Butcher’s survival is fading.
The Butcher revelation, however, raises new questions. Even though taking Compound V didn’t cure him directly, it seems to have changed something in him. Also in episode 4, Butcher suffers a blackout during a fight. When he comes to, his opponent has been blown into a thousand pieces. There also seems to be a worm-like creature under his skin. Does he now have superpowers that he is not aware of?
Will Billy Butcher die in The Boys season 4? Important detail gives hope for his survival until season 5
Everything currently looks as if Billy Butcher can no longer escape death – whether with superpowers or without. However, an important detail from the first episodes of season 4 gives hope that Butcher actually survive this season and will fight against Homelander (Antony Starr) and the corrupt Supes one last time in the grand finale in season 5.
As Season 4 begins, according to MM (Laz Alonso), six months have passed since the events of Season 3. The US election is basically over and we are heading into the holiday season with a Vought on Ice musical. In addition, the upcoming Congressional certification of the election on January 6th has been set up as a major event that this season is building towards.
This means: The Events of Season 4 span a short period of less than two monthsSo there’s a good chance that Billy Butcher will stay with us until the final 5th season – and an epic final battle. The Boys could also recreate Butcher’s tragic fate from the comic book.
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Is Butcher finally turning to the dark side?
Warning, spoilers for The Boys comic:
In Garth Ennis’ comic book, Butcher may not be close to death, but he undergoes a drastic transformation in the final stages of the story. Not Homelander, but the leader of The Boys himself becomes the last and ultimate villain in historyWith the help of a virus, he wants to wipe out all Supes on Earth.
This twist was already prepared in the series universe itself with the creation of a similar virus. The expiring lifespan gives the character an additional urgency to possibly resort to such drastic measures that would kill not only Homelander and the Seven, but also “good” Supes like Ryan, Kimiko and Starlight.
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When is The Boys season 4 episode 5 coming to Amazon?
The remaining four episodes of The Boys Season 4 may provide clues as to whether Billy Butcher will actually become a supervillain. These are currently being released every Thursday on Amazon Prime Video. It continues with Episode 5 on June 27, 2024. The season finale will be available to stream from July 18, 2024.