It has been seven years since the debut of The Boys season 1 and only a matter of days since the premiere of its finale on Prime Video. On Friday night, showrunner Eric Kripke shared a document on social media that describes the pitch and mission statement for the series dating back 11 years.
In the caption, The Boys showrunner revealed, "Since then, hundreds of actors, thousands of crew, and millions of viewers embraced this insane idea. I'm grateful beyond words, and proud that all these years later, we stayed true to this mission statement."
An adaptation of the comic book by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, the series is billed as "an irreverent" spin on the conventional superhero formula, exploring the consequences of them having the ultimate fame and power and being untouchable by law.
In the mission statement/pitch, Kripke describes conventional superheroes as "idiotic amateurs who think that just because they have powers, they can somehow fight crime."
The statement highlights that the heroes do not have any military or police training and underscores the core theme of the series, concerning the aforementioned consequences.
"Superheroes are above the law, beloved by the public and shielded by corporations. Well, luckily, we have THE BOYS to protect us from our supposed protectors. A covert, CIA-backed, Dirty Half Dozen TEAM of regular HUMANS," the statement reads.
In the statement, Kripke describes The Boys as an "early Guy Ritchie movie, meets Deadpool, meets Inglourious Basterds, meets a Denis Leary rant, meets The Raid." It also warned the audience of the gratuitous amount of sex and violence in the series. "If you're easily offended, we should stop the pitch now," the statement reads.
It further states, "But this isn't a parody. Or a joke. We're telling a story with real characters, real pain, and real stakes. Because this show is ABOUT REALITY. About what would really happen if flawed humans actually scored limitless power and privilege. Nothing good. It's also a biting commentary on our MODERN CULTURE."
