The team behind Amazon's upcoming series The Boys are already looking toward season 2 and reportedly considering Aya Cash for a major villainous role. Created by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, the titular group made their comic book debut in 2006. Set in a world where superheroes exist and have mostly become corrupted by the culture of celebrity surrounding them, Billy Butcher and his group take it upon themselves to hold them to account - by any means necessary.
Following the success of Preacher - which was also created by Ennis - Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg sought to bring to life the equally violent and quirky universe. Finding a home on Amazon, Rogen and Goldberg produced the series, with Supernatural creator Eric Kripke serving as the showrunner. Karl Urban (Thor: Ragnarok) was soon cast as Billy Butcher, who recruits Hughie (Jack Quaid) to the team after the latter suffers a personal tragedy at the hands of a superhero. The series will also star Elisabeth Shue, Antony Starr, and Erin Moriarty (Jessica Jones). Urban's fellow Star Trek alum, Simon Pegg, will also appear as Hughie's father; and that particular casting is especially meta, due to Pegg's likeness being used for Hughie in the comics. Season 1 of the R-rated series will see The Boys attempting to bring down the world's most revered superhero group: The Seven.
Despite the fact that the episodes have yet to air, leaving fans in the dark as to the overall success of that mission, Kripke and Co are already looking towards season 2. Equally unknown is whether Amazon will opt to renew the series; though, given the general buzz surrounding the show, a second outing does seem likely. Whatever the case, Deadline has reported that the groundwork is already being laid. Cash is in talks to play the comic book villain, Stormfront.
The actress is best known for playing Gretchen Cutler on the acclaimed comedy series You're the Worst. She also appeared in the Netflix series Easy and the FX limited series Fosse/Verdon opposite Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams. The character of Stormfront, who serves as the super-powered leader of a group called Payback, is visually inspired by such comic book heroes as Thor and Shazam, and the character's public persona is that of a reincarnated Viking. In reality, however, he was a super soldier created by Nazis and, as such, holds some deeply unsavory views.
There is no word yet on how much from the character's backstory will be adapted from the page to the screen. The mere fact Cash will potentially play the part shows that the team behind the show clearly have their own ideas for the villain. Given that Stormfront is also the name of an online white supremacist group, there could potentially be some real-world resonance. As such, having a female at the helm of such a collective will be a unique take. Then again, those kinds of connotations could be something Rogen and Co are looking to avoid with their divergent take on the character. Whatever the case, Cash has earned recognition via her recent roles and proven adept at the kind of dark comedy that the Amazon show will feature.
The Boys season 1 will premiere July 26 on Amazon.
Source: Deadline