The hit superhero series, The Boys, finally came to its big conclusion and shocked the world. Was it the perfect ending? No, but it did what it needed to and wrapped up almost everyone’s stories in a cohesive manner. There’s no doubt, though, that there will be a space in many peoples’ hearts now made empty by the absence of The Boys.
Thankfully, there are plenty of superhero shows left out there for people to watch that might help satisfy what they’re looking for post-The Boys. This show is one filled with action, comedy, dark themes, and great performances, but, rest assured, it’s not the only one. There are plenty of other superhero shows out there that pack a similar kind of punch for those that are looking for something to fill the void.
‘Creature Commandos’ (2024–Present)
The main characters of The Boys can be described as some real misfit toys and one of the most recent examples of some more super-misfits in superhero television comes through none other than James Gunn‘s Creature Commandos. Not only that, but it also employs some darker themes than someone’s standard superhero project. This isn’t to say it’s as dark as The Boys, but it leans darker than usual.
The dark comedy in Creatures Commandos is most certainly where it flies closest to The Boys. Gunn loves some good dark humor and if people are looking for the grittier vibe that Eric Kripke‘s show brings, but in the DC Universe, then the one and only Creature Commandos is where one should definitely start to look.
‘Preacher’ (2016–2019)
When it comes to being similar to The Boys, Preacher is one of the shows that really takes a win home. Both The Boys and Preacher are shows based on comic book titles written by Garth Ennis, meaning they share a lot of similarities when it comes to the brand of humor, violence, and character types within them.
Preacher is just as much raunchy, violent, and crass as The Boys in all the best ways. It’s because of this that Preacher has become one of the best shows to follow up The Boys with. The performances from the likes of Dominic Cooper, Ruth Negga, Ian Colletti, Joe Gilgun and the rest of the cast help make the characters of this show just as compelling and engaging as the other Ennis series.
‘Powers’ (2015–2016)
Powers is a very unique show when it comes to its general existence. This show was made exclusively for none other than the PlayStation Network. Yes, this was a streaming series made to air on PlayStations all around the world. This, of course, didn’t bode well for viewership, which is a shame because Powers was pretty dang good and most definitely gives The Boys vibes. One of the most interesting things about The Boys is the way it integrates the world of superheroes into the one audiences know all so well.
Powers does this incredibly well, too, by showcasing the world through the lens of a character that directly deals with super-problems via the law enforcement corner of the universe: Christian Walker (Sharlto Copley). Not to mention, fans of The Boys will also see a familiar face in Susan Heyward as Deena Pilgrim, Walker’s partner in the force. The way this series manages to meld supers with the reality everyone knows is really smart and feels very reminiscent of The Boys.
‘Doom Patrol’ (2019–2023)
Everyone loves a good humorous romp, especially when it comes to superhero shows that deal with more maturity than others. Some of the best humor from a live-action DC Comics series comes through the extremely special Doom Patrol. Brought to life by Jeremy Carver, this show is yet another story of a bunch of misfits who are just trying to make it in a superhero universe way beyond their scope.
Doom Patrol was extremely well-received when it was coming out—partially because it was surrounded by the ever-hated Titans—and that’s because people genuinely found themselves connecting to the characters and their struggles. This isn’t just because they are funny, but because these protagonists genuinely feel real and lived-in. These are the same kinds of traits the most relatable of The Boys‘ cast, like Hughie Campbell (Jack Quaid) and Annie January (Erin Moriarty).
‘The Umbrella Academy’ (2019–2024)
Part of what made The Boys so interesting is the fact that it was extremely good at subverting expectations, and the likes of Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy also executes this in an incredibly smooth manner. The Umbrella Academy takes what people expect from an X-Men-like project and flips those things on their heads. This results in a show that keeps people guessing at every turn.
The Umbrella Academy spends its time focusing not on “heroes,” but deeply flawed and traumatized individuals, investigating how those flaws and traumas affect them in their daily lives. It does a lot of heavy lifting in the character department, which leads to unforgettable characters, much like the ones in The Boys. Each has their own demons to conquer via the series’ story.
‘Watchmen’ (2019)
Ever since the comic made an amazing debut all the way back in 1986, this franchise has found a lot of love in media, especially film and television. While the movie from 2009 (directed by Zack Snyder) was received relatively well, it was the show in 2019 that fans really felt at home with. Watchmen is a series that feels like it was written by genuine fans of the material, who knew what was and wasn’t appropriate to change from the source material.
The Boys also does this quite often, as the show ends up being vastly different from the comic, keeping ideas and general plot threads, and crafting something new from those bare bones. Watchmen does this in an incredibly impressive manner, only changing things if it felt like they could be changed without fully insulting the original plot. This results in a story that both fans and newcomers alike can enjoy.
‘Peacemaker’ (2022–2025)
Before 2022, no one in their right mind would have believed that the Peacemaker (John Cena) character from James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad would be the perfect choice to lead a show of his own. Sure, people loved the character in The Suicide Squad, but that doesn’t mean him having a whole show on his shoulders was going to be a success. However, this ended up being the case as Peacemaker debuted in 2022 and became a smash hit that no one was expecting.
Peacemaker has the same raunchy, no-holds-barred humor that The Boys does, as well as some great violence. It’s not as gory as The Boys gets, but that doesn’t mean it holds back its punches when it comes to violence either, though. Peacemaker kind of feels like what The Boys would have felt like if it had a bit more whimsy and joy. This, combined with a main character that most people already know of, makes Peacemaker a major winner.
‘Daredevil’ (2015–2018)
The words “art” and “masterpiece” get thrown around a lot when the topic of Marvel and Netflix’s 2015 series, Daredevil, gets brought up, and for very good reason. This show is good at a lot of things, but those that it truly excels at are also what makes The Boys so enjoyable, too, meaning anyone who loved the Prime Video series will most likely find some love for Daredevil, too.
Both shows are primarily focused on grounded, more mature storytelling over action or visual effects. They both deeply explore the morals and ethics of heroism and the fine line one toes when attempting to do good (or what their definition of good is), especially when the mental toll of violence enters the picture. Daredevil is one of Marvel Studios’ golden children—so much so that it was revived as Daredevil: Born Again, which is about to get a third season—and it’s thanks to the same great storytelling techniques that The Boys uses that audiences grew to love it so much.
‘Invincible’ (2021–Present)
The Boys wasn’t the only superhero smash hit on Prime Video. None other than Robert Kirman‘s Invincible also happens to be one of the mainstays of the streaming service’s show roster. The two series are often grouped together when being discussed, not just because they’re both Prime Video kings, but because they are quite similar when it comes to how they tackle the superhero genre.
Much like The Boys, Invincible is widely known for how well it subverts stereotypical superhero tropes on an episode-to-episode basis. Everyone loves having their expectations subverted. It’s also just as gory and violent as the live-action series, making for some awesome action and extremely memorable scenes, such as Invincible (Steven Yeun) vs. Conquest (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). Thankfully, Invincible still has a few seasons to go before it meets its conclusion, so Prime Video hasn’t lost another gory superhero series just yet.
‘Gen V’ (2023–2025)
Yes, The Boys is fantastic. However, there are many people who would argue that its spin-off, Gen V, is actually better in a few ways. Taking place at the premier super college of The Boys‘ universe, Godolkin University—also called “God U”—Gen V is an incredible coming-of-age story that maintains all the charm and violence that the foundational show has.
Gen V is genuinely something special and while it finds a ton of similarities in The Boys for, as stated, the violence and grit, it also finds itself feeling a bit more personal and intimate in the story area. While The Boys is very world and plot-focused, Gen V spends most of its time on its characters and their interpersonal journeys, which has led to a lot of people really connecting with it and falling in love with it.
Gen V
- Release Date
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September 28, 2023
- Network
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Prime Video
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Jaz Sinclair
Marie Moreau
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Lizze Broadway
Emma Meyer / Little Cricket
