The Boys Theory Suggests Season 3 Alternate Ending Exists
Were you left feeling empty after the season three finale of The Boys? If so, you were not the only one. In fact, many fans revealed as much in a Reddit thread discussing the huge buildup and lackluster conclusion to "The Instant White-Hot Wild" (S3, E8).
During the season finale, (spoilers ahead) multiple characters meet their demise yet all of the main players manage to escape the same fate. Meanwhile, several new alliances are forged and Starlight discovers her hidden ability to fly.
Queen Maeve makes the ultimate sacrifice to save the group from Soldier Boy while Ryan unexpectedly chooses Homelander over Butcher. The decision leads to a disturbing scene where Homelander and Ryan gain notoriety with the public while Butcher is presented with an unfortunate diagnosis. Finally, the gigantic shift occurs in the final moments as Annie dismisses her Starlight persona to become one of the Boys.
The sacrifice Maeve (Dominique McElligott) makes to keep the group safe from Soldier Boy was easily one of the more controversial elements of the season three finale. Indeed, audiences were vocal about how disappointing the payoff was considering all the buildup leading up to the last episode. For many, the ending was botched and therefore destroyed some of the excitement and momentum leading into season four of The Boys.
In an interview with Variety, The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke confirmed that Maeve's unpopular exit was woven into season three partly because of scheduling conflicts with the actor, Dominique McElligott. However, he reminded audiences to remain patient, adding: "I don't think The Boys will end without Maeve showing up again."
It's true, Kripke hinted that several of the issues fans had with the season three finale of The Boys will get cleaned up in the next season. The executive producer even acknowledged an alternative ending may exist, something to look forward to even if you were left feeling disgruntled with the season finale.
Regarding the story, Kripke acknowledged that Ryan will continue to have a pivotal role in season four, including whether he remains faithful to Homelander or eventually switches back to Butcher. Furthermore, new characters (particularly new members of the Seven) are anticipated to debut in season four. Additionally, Kripke confirmed that more will be revealed regarding Black Noir's death. Even better, fans haven't seen the last of Cindy.
The character hasn't appeared in The Boys since season 2 yet Kripke noted that it's due to the busy schedule of actor Ess Hödlmoser. "Cindy will return, there's no way Cindy doesn't return," he adamantly stated about the scheduling conflict.
Currently, The Boys is preparing to shoot season four which is anticipated to arrive on Amazon Prime in 2023. While still early in the development of that season, Kripke is confident fans will find optimism with the show once again. He labeled season four "as very character-driven".
"It's early with some heavy rewriting," he told Variety, "But it's super interesting and fun and really, really emotionally rich. [Season four] is probably as emotionally complicated as we've ever done. So far, that's been my big takeaway. [Every character] is really facing their core issues in a way that's pretty exciting."