The Boys season 5: Release date speculation and latest news

Announcing the news that season 5 would be The Boys' last, showrunner Eric Kripke said in a post on Twitter, which has been rebranded as X: "Season 4 Premiere Week is a good time to announce: Season 5 will be the Final Season!

"Always my plan, I just had to be cagey till I got the final OK from Vought. Thrilled to bring the story to a gory, epic, moist climax. Watch Season 4 in 2 DAYS, cause the end has begun!"

But when will season 5 be released, why is the show ending and who from the cast is likely to be back for one last ride? Read on for everything you need to know about The Boys season 5.

When will The Boys season 5 be released?

We don't yet know when The Boys season 5 will be released, but we can look back at previous season's release dates to get a sense of how long we might have to wait.

While seasons 1 and 2 of the show came out in fairly quick succession, with just a year to wait between them, the show has since taken longer to make, with a break of approximately two years between the release of seasons 2 and 3 and then again between 3 and 4.

As that schedule seems to be relatively built in now, we would expect to see season 5 arriving in summer 2026 – however, that could of course change, and we will keep this page updated as soon as any more concrete information is released.

Why will The Boys season 5 be the final season?

Showrunner Eric Kripke has explained his reasoning for ending The Boys with its fifth season, saying it was always his plan and he just had to convince Prime Video.

He told TVLine that Prime Video pushed back "lovingly", adding: "There was no like, 'You have to keep this show going.' It was more of like a very friendly and respectful like, 'Are you sure season 5 is the last season? Are you sure you don’t want to do more?'"

He continued: "But we were already, like, barreling towards this. The truth is we knew that it was going to be a five-season story for years now. I mean, probably since writing the beginning of Season 3, we knew, and so we were already laying down track that was always heading in this direction.

"Honestly, they’ve been great about letting us end it on our own terms. I’m really grateful."

However, fans don't need to worry that the fifth season will be a full-stop on the world of The Boys. With a second season of Gen V on the way, and another Mexico-set spin-off in development, it seems there is plenty of potential for the universe to run and run.

Kripke told Entertainment Weekly: "This story of The Boys will not continue on. With any luck, Gen V will continue on, there will be hopefully a couple others in development that we're talking about that can continue on, but The Boys story ends in season 5."

Who will be back to star in The Boys season 5?

The cast for The Boys season 5 has not yet been confirmed, and it could of course be shaped by the events of the final episodes of season 4 – if any characters pop their clogs, they are unlikely to show up in season 5 (although of course it's not impossible!).

However, barring this, it seems likely that all of the main stars from The Boys season 4 will be back for season 5, perhaps with additional appearances from the likes of Queen Maeve and Soldier Boy, who have so far been absent in season 4.

Here's a full list of the characters and cast members we could currently make a return in season 5:

• Jack Quaid as Hughie Campbell
• Karl Urban as Billy Butcher
• Erin Moriarty as Annie/Starlight
• Laz Alonso as Mother's Milk
• Karen Fukuhara as Kimiko
• Tomer Capone as Serge/Frenchie
• Antony Starr as Homelander
• Chace Crawford as The Deep
• Colby Minifie as Ashley Barrett
• Cameron Crovetti as Ryan
• Olivia Morandin as Zoe Neuman
• Jim Beaver as Robert Singer
• Jensen Ackles as Soldier Boy
• Nathan Mitchell as Black Noir
• Susan Heyward as Sister Sage
• Valorie Curry as Firecracker
• Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Joe Kessler
• Rosemarie DeWitt as Daphne Campbell
• Dominique McElligott as Queen Maeve

Is there a trailer for The Boys season 5?

There isn't a trailer available for The Boys season 5 yet, and as it has yet to start filming it is likely to be a while until we get one.

We will add any new footage from season 5 in here as and when it is released, but in the meantime you can rewatch the season 4 trailer below.

The Boys season 4 will continue on Prime Video on Thursday 11th July. The Boys seasons 1-3 are available to watch now – try Amazon Prime Video for free for 30 days. Plus, read our guides to the best Amazon Prime series and the best movies on Amazon Prime.

Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.