The countdown to the fourth season of Amazon Prime’s critically acclaimed series The Boys has begun. A new trailer for the latest recently dropped while also reiterating that we are a little over a month away from the fourth installment, which promises to answer several lingering questions about the conflict between the titular group and Vought-sponsored supes.
One question fans hope the season answers will revolve around the mysterious return of The Seven member Black Noir, who was unceremoniously killed by Homelander in the third season. As the trailer provides a glimpse at Black Noir’s return, it also hints at how the character will be revived, and a Gen V character could be at the center of it all. Here is how a Gen V supe might replace Black Noir.
The Boys Season 4 Might Replace Black Noir With a Gen V Character
The Boys season 4 recently debuted a new trailer, which confirms that Black Noir will be back in the latest installment. In season 3, Antony Starr’s Homelander killed the original Noir after learning the secret he had been hiding from the Seven’s leader. However, showrunner Eric Kripke has confirmed that the mantle of Black Noir will be taken up by a different character in season 4.
Meanwhile, the season 4 trailer also showcased Asa Germann’s Samuel “Sam” Riordan and Maddie Phillips’ Cate Dunlap, characters first introduced in the spin-off series Gen V. In the series, the duo is saved from prison by Homelander after their rampage at Godolkin University. Therefore, it is safe to assume that Sam and Maddie will be on Homelander’s side.
Given that Sam’s primary superpower is superstrength, he could be brought in as a replacement for the fallen Black Noir. Moreover, given the previous Noir’s close proximity to Homelander, the latter might have handpicked Sam as the replacement so that he could control the supe. As a result, Sam could be the one sporting the Black Noir costume in the fourth season.
Why Sam Riordan Is the Ideal Replacement For the Original Black Noir
Sam Riordan’s superstrength makes him the perfect candidate to replace Black Noir since a drastic change in the supe’s skillset in the public eye may raise questions. However, the real reason Sam might be chosen as Noir’s replacement is because he is equally and arguably sometimes even more deranged than the original man behind the mask.
As revealed in the third season, an injury left Black Noir mentally unstable, and he imagined animated characters to cope with it. Similarly, Gen V showed how Sam’s fragile mental state resulted in him viewing people as puppets. The puppet scenarios allow Sam to commit violent acts without realizing the gory nature of his actions.
Sam’s penchant for violence is on a similar level as Black Noir, and his skillset also empowers him to function similarly to the fallen supe. Hence, Sam’s mental health issues and violent tendencies make him the perfect replacement for Black Noir.
The only caveat in this theory is that Eric Kripke has confirmed that the previous Black Noir actor Nathan Mitchell will continue to play the man under the mask. However, Kripke has also stated that this will be a new character. Therefore, Sam could be revealed as the face behind the new Black Noir, when the mask is finally removed.
The Boys season 4 premieres June 13, 2024, while earlier seasons are streaming on Amazon Prime Video. You can check out the latest trailer for season 4 below.
