The final episode of The Boys Season 4 almost didn’t air following the July 2024 assassination attempt on President Donald Trump.
In the Season 4 finale, originally titled “Assassination Run,” Homelander schemes to assassinate the newly elected President Robert Singer so he can install superpowered Vice President Victoria Neuman — who is largely under his control due to his threats against her daughter — in the presidency. If his plan succeeds, Homelander will essentially gain authoritarian control of the U.S. government, ushering in a Vought-backed administration in which Supes will ultimately rule the nation.
The finale aired as planned on Amazon Prime Video on July 18, 2024, under the generic title “Season Four Finale”—but it almost didn’t make it to the streamer at all due to recent real-world events.
The episode was scheduled to be released on Prime Video less than a week after the July 13, 2024 assassination attempt against President Donald Trump, who at the time was campaigning for a second presidential term. Trump was speaking on stage at an outdoor campaign rally in Pennsylvania when a gunman, later identified as Thomas Crooks, shot at him, striking Trump’s ear.
READ MORE: Homelander Actor Shares Message as The Boys Wraps Final Season
Speaking to Polygon, showrunner Eric Kripke said the Season 4 finale, which he directed, “created a lot of anxiety” behind the scenes.
“I had a lot of emotional eggs in that basket, and there was a very real possibility that they were going to delay its airing. It went all the way up the chain to Andy Jassy, the head of Amazon, and he was okay with airing it,” Kripke shared.
Thankfully for Kripke and The Boys, the Amazon CEO gave them the green light to air the episode, with just one small stipulation.
“All that came back was, ‘Just change the title. It’s a tasteless title considering, but it’s different enough, and we will back it.’ Thank God that they did. I had a really stressful 24 hours, but it all pales in comparison to the madness in the real world,” Kripke explained.
The fifth and final season of The Boys, based on the comic book series of the same name, premieres on Prime Video with two episodes on April 8. Subsequent episodes will be released weekly until the series finale on May 20.
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Gallery Credit: Erica Russell
