Finally confirming its connection to Generation V, The Boys season 4 trailer unveils Billy Butcher’s scheme against superpowers. Billy Butcher’s scheme in season three of The Boys was to release Soldier Boy and use his assistance in 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ing Homelander. However, sometime along the line, Butcher managed to obtain the temporary version of Compound V, giving him the ability to confront Homelander directly.

Unfortunately, Butcher’s scheme failed on him after Soldier Boy went rogue, his son turned against him, and the Temp-V left him with tumors in his head, as the conclusion of The Boys season 3 proves. Billy Butcher is determined to assassinate Homelander since he only has a few months to live. According to the teaser for The Boys season 4, Butcher will now be assisted by a Gen V story device in devising the ideal strategy to take on superpowers such as Homelander.

The Boys Season 4 Takes Place After Gen V’s Finale

The Boys Season 4 Is Continuing Gen V’s Main Story Beats

Several story beats in Gen V had already confirmed that the spin-off show’s events ensued between that of The Boys‘ season 3 and 4. For instance, Gen V subtly confirms that Homelander is facing charges for murdering a civilian in The Boys season 3’s finale. The spin-off series also continues Victoria Neuman’s electoral narrative, where she crosses more moral boundaries to politically grow from strength to strength. Gen V‘s cliffhanger ending, where Homelander attacks Marie, and Sam and Cate are portrayed as the Guardians of Godolkin on the news, also seemed like the perfect setup for The Boys season 4.

Gen V also introduced other intriguing narrative devices that could become crucial drivers for The Boys season 4’s storyline. However, since The Boys season 4’s first teaser did not feature any characters from Gen V or explicitly mention the spin-off show’s plot devices, it was hard not to wonder if it would hold off these elements for future seasons. Fortunately, The Boys season 4’s trailer has now confirmed that it will not only feature several familiar Gen V faces but also adopt the crucial story beats introduced in the spin-off series.

Billy Butcher Has Found The Supe Virus From Gen V

The Supe Virus Could Give Butcher A Significant Edge Over Homelander

One of the most compelling storylines in Gen V focuses on the supe-𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ing virus. Compared to the non-supe folks in The Boys‘ universe, most supes are almost invincible, allowing them to avoid the consequences of their immoral actions. The introduction of the virus, however, effectively makes this dynamic more complex, hinting that non-supes may finally not be all that powerless. Although there is still an air of ambiguity surrounding the virus, The Boys season 4’s trailer has confirmed that Billy Butcher has gotten his hands on it. This could give him a serious edge over Homelander.

“As The Boys season 4’s trailer seemingly confirms, Butcher likely found an infected supe’s body in The Woods, which he will use for extracting the virus.”

In the trailer, Butcher explicitly mentions that he has found a virus that 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s supes. Another scene from the trailer shows him entering a lab where an infected leg has been kept in cold storage, and someone extracts fluid from it, presumably to study the virus. All these scenes seem to be extensions of Gen V‘s finale’s mid-credits scene where Billy Butcher lurks in the abandoned tunnels of Godolkin’s The Woods and finds something that makes him go, “What a bunch of c**ts!”

As The Boys season 4’s trailer seemingly confirms, Butcher likely found an infected supe’s body in The Woods, which he will use for extracting the virus. He will then weaponize the virus to end Homelander’s reign. However, given how supes like Starlight and Kimiko are on his team, he will have to tread carefully before he lets the virus out into the world.

Cate & Sam Are On Homelander’s Side In The Boys Season 4

The Other Gen V Main Characters Will Likely Join Butcher

In another brief moment from the trailer, Cate and Sam can be seen standing inside Vought’s main conference room alongside the Seven-member A-Train. While this does not necessarily confirm they have been recruited into the supe team, it suggests they are on Homelander’s side. Cate and Sam’s allegiance change makes complete sense because the two characters were already turning into supe supremacists like Homelander towards the end of Gen V. Homelander even rescued them from the Godolkin showdown and portrayed them as the real heroes of the violent school conflict.

With Sam and Cate on Homelander’s team, it seems likely that Marie and the others will join forces with Butcher and the boys. The Boys‘ trailer does not feature Marie or her other friends, suggesting they are still imprisoned somewhere in the Vought tower. However, since Sam and Cate’s appearance has been confirmed in The Boys season 4, it seems likely that other main characters from Gen V will also show up in the Amazon series’ fourth installment.