The Boys didn’t so much open the door for R-rated superhero TV shows as much as it kicked it down while screaming profanities in the nude. In the Amazon Prime Video series’ five seasons (and two seasons of college-based spinoff Gen V), it constantly tried to outdo itself with orgies, prehensile genitals, and unrelenting gore.
But with The Boys ending in a matter of weeks, what will be the next superhero story to have such a raunchy edge? We may already know the answer, and you won’t even have to leave Prime Video to check it out. A former Marvel director is already on board, and we just got our first glimpse at the cast.
In January, Amazon Prime Video announced an adaptation of Sex Criminals, the Image Comics series by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky. The comic follows Suzie and Jon, young adults who discover they have the power to stop time when they have sex. As their budding relationship evolves, they decide to use their power to rob banks.
According to Variety, Nia DaCosta, the director of The Marvels and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, will direct the first two episodes and serve as executive producer. She joins already-announced creators Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani as producers, as well as original comic creators Fraction and Zdarsky. We also have our first casting update on the series, which will star Imogen Poots and John Reynolds as Suzie and Jon. Kumail Nanjiani will also appear in an unspecified role.
The Boys universe may be continuing in the prequel series Vought Rising, but with its flagship show ending, there’s an opening for a new irreverent superhero story. With the added romance element and such a high-profile director attached, Sex Criminals could improve on The Boys’ groundbreaking but often shaky formula. Its unique premise could only exist at Image Comics, and it’s caused its fair share of discussion over the years. But with the freedom that streaming television offers — and the groundwork laid by past shows — we could see it get the edgy, explicit adaptation it deserves.
