Black Noir Returning In The Boys S4 Ruins The Comic Biggest Twist
The comic version of Black Noir had a very different backstory than the one fans of Amazon Prime Video's The Boys have grown to know. After a recent casting announcement, it's less likely than ever that we'll see that version on screen.
In the source material, Black Noir is an exact clone of Homelander – a massive twist toward the end of the series. He's created as a deterrent to the ultra-powerful Homelander, meant by Vought to kill and replace the "hero" if he ever becomes a true threat. It was assumed that this would be the case for the first few seasons, albeit with a few alterations, when the mute Noir was introduced.
But Season 3 showed Noir was an old teammate of Homelander's father, Soldier Boy, decades ago. Homelander kills Noir at the end of the season, emotional that the teammate he most trusted hid his true parentage from him. This isn't the only case of changed plot points; Prime Video 's version of the Boys has made an effort to make itself different from the comics since its inception.
Showrunner Eric Kripke recently announced that Nathan Mitchell will reprise his role as Black Noir in Season 4, essentially putting to bed the possibility of Noir being Homelander's clone.
If the character Black Noir – not the actor – were simply announced, this might imply that we'd be introduced to Homelander's clone. It would make sense in this timeframe, as Homelander is becoming increasingly unhinged. The last scene we saw of the show featured Homelander laser-eyeing a civilian in front of an entire crowd. More than ever, Vought and the government need a deterrent.
But because Mitchell was specifically announced, we assume we'll actually see Noir's face. This leads to several other theories about how Noir comes back. Did he survive Homelander's attack? Was Noir himself cloned? Is someone else taking the mantle of Black Noir, an effort by Vought to show a semblance of consistency among the Seven?
The last option seems the most likely. The in-universe public knows nothing of Noir's death, and Homelander was visibly emotional when killing his friend. It seems logical that they'd make every effort to keep the public's trust after various scandals and deaths among the Seven.
However – is the cloning angle still within the realm of possibility? While Antony Starr ( who plays Homelander) and Nathan Mitchell look nothing alike, they could have Noir be a non-identical clone who simply shares his DNA. That's basically how Homelander was created from Soldier Boy.
Season 4 of The Boys will stream on Prime Video in 2023 and it's certain to answer a few of these questions.