Calling The Boys “woke”? Showrunner Eric Kripke is not one to mince words, and he’s dropping truth bombs faster than Homelander’s laser vision. The adaptation of Garth Ennis’ hard-R comic book The Boys is a fan-beloved series—however, there’ve been recent claims that have taken the internet by storm. 

Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles & Eric Kripke
Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles & Eric Kripke at Cosmic-Con International | Wikimedia/vagueonthehow

As Kripke develops his darkly humorous satire into a franchise—and parodies a certain trial and presidential race in the new season—he claims he doesn’t mind losing viewers who’ve caught on to his social agenda. Aiming to shut down the whole woke-thing, he’s clear: if you can’t handle the heat, get out of the Vought-sanctioned kitchen. 

“Go Watch Something Else,” The Boys’ showrunner Eric Kripke fires back at “woke” accusations

Eric KripkeRevolution cast and crew members at the 2013 Comic Con.
Eric Kripke, Revolution cast and crew members at the 2013 Comic Con | Wikimedia/Thibault

The Boys’ showrunner is weighing in on some of the conversation ahead of the show’s Season 4 launch. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he addressed concerns that Homelander is a hero. However, viewers commented that the show went “woke” in a single episode. Kripke rather furiously replied:

Anyone who wants to call the show ‘woke’ or whatever, that’s OK. Go watch something else. But I’m certainly not going to pull any punches or apologize for what we’re doing!

Eric Kripke continued saying that the show is many things and subtle isn’t one of them. So, if the audience is getting a “woke” message from it, he’d rather just throw up his hands, because he’s not going to apologize for what he’s created. 

Kripe said that Homelander was always meant to be a stand-in for former President Donald Trump when it came to the showrunners’ intention to compare the subsequent presidential contest between Homelander’s autocratic ascent to power and Trump’s own.

When Seth [Rogen] and Evan [Goldberg] and I took it out to pitch, it was 2016. We just wanted to do a very realistic version of a superhero show, one where superheroes are celebrities behaving badly. Trump was the, ‘He’s not really getting the nomination, is he?’ guy. When he got elected, we had a metaphor that said more about the current world.

So, there you have it! The Boys showrunner isn’t shying away from social commentary, neither is he afraid to lose viewers. Love it or hate it, this series is indeed one that refuses to apologize for its bite! 

Starlight gets support, “woke” whiners get roasted, and Kripke fights back!

Eric Kripke – Comic-Con 2010 – "Supernatural" Panel
Eric Kripke at Comic-Con 2010 – “Supernatural” Panel | Wikimedia/vagueonthehow

Eric Kripke has always fought back against critics. He took to Twitter in September 2023 to address the misogynistic comments directed at actress Erin Moriarty, who plays Annie January, a.k.a. Starlight, in the Prime Video series. “Hi trolls!” he captioned an article about Erin’s comments. “One, this is literally the opposite of the show’s f***ing message. Two, you’re causing pain to real people with real feelings. Be kind.”

The actress talked about the remarks people have made about her appearance and her role as Annie January, often known as Starlight, in an emotional Instagram post. The actress wrote, “I do feel silenced,” on September 6. “I do feel dehumanized. I do feel paralyzed.” 

It’s quite evident that The Boys’ showrunner Eric Kripke isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty, both literally and metaphorically. Kripke’s unapologetic approach goes beyond social commentary, which is mesmerizingly displayed in the series!

Watch all four seasons of The Boys on Amazon Prime Video.

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