The Boys creator Eric Kripke says he "lives in absolute terror" that the show will become the thing they have been parodying

The Boys has been going strong since its debut, but its fifth season will be its final one as series creator Eric Kripke reveals he "lives in absolute terror of becoming the thing we’ve been satirizing for five years."

Speaking to Collider, Kripke says, "The thing about The Boys is that it’s punk rock, and it hurts extra hard when punk rockers sell out. I'm really working hard not to sell out." He's speaking about the various spin-off shows that are in the works. Gen V is currently awaiting its second season, out sometime in 2025, and a new prequel show is in the works starring Soldier Boy and Stormfront titled Vought Rising. It will detail the early years of the company.

"We do these shows because we really care about them and we’re passionate about them," Kripke explains. "They can tell fresh stories that we can’t tell in The Boys and not just be about rapid expansion but be very careful and mindful about the choices we’re making and being able to defend why we’re making them. I worry about that every single day."

Season 4 of The Boys sparked some fan backlash as right-wingers realized, "hey, this play is about us." That writing has been on the wall since episode one, but sometimes it takes a while for people to catch up.

I'm glad The Boys is bowing out after its next season. I've loved it all, but I'd prefer to see it go out on a high, on its own terms, not fizzle away or become the very thing it parodies. As for the spin-off shows, I was pleasantly surprised by Gen V and its ability to forge its own style while still connecting to the wider Boys universe in a way that felt meaningful. It's given me hope for Vought Rising, too.

"There's no doubt that we’re a franchise now, but we’re trying to do it with as much integrity as Hollywood could muster, which isn’t much, but it’s a little," Kripke says.

While you wait for more from The Boys' universe, why not check out some of the new TV shows coming out?