Here are the familiar faces and exciting newbies coming to The Boys in season 2. Debuting in 2019 on Amazon Prime, The Boys is the long-awaited live-action adaptation of the comic book series by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. Some questioned whether such a depraved and subversive superhero story could ever break free from the comic realm, but the first season of The Boys was a huge success with Eric Kripke as showrunner. Set in a world where superhero and celebrity form a deadly cocktail of social irresponsibility, The Boys season 1 introduced the ongoing battle between Butcher's Boys, and the 200+ superheroes employed by Vought.
The Boys season 2 begins a little closer to the comic books, with the titular group completed by the addition of The Female to their ranks. Furthermore, Homelander and The Seven are now fully aware that Butcher is lurking around the corner, just waiting to stick the boot in should any superhero lower their guard. The Boys season 2 will see Butcher more fired up than ever after discovering his wife was alive all along, kept hidden by Vought to raise the child she conceived by Homelander.
One of The Boys' biggest strengths so far has been quality of cast and performance, with Karl Urban (Butcher) and Antony Starr (Homelander) leading a compelling group of disgruntled regular folks and arrogant, disillusioned superheroes. Most of season 1's stars will be returning for The Boys' sophomore run, but the series is also set to add some vital fresh blood to the mix. Here are all the returning and new characters in The Boys season 2.
The Boys Season 2 Returning Cast - The Boys
Karl Urban as Billy Butcher - The leader of The Boys. Butcher's wife vanished and was presumed dead after being raped by Homelander, but Butcher never gave up looking for her. Instead, he was approached by the CIA's Mallory (who might also appear this season) to lead a team that specialize in taking down superhero threats. Brash, British and a massive fan of the Spice Girls, Butcher's determination to get revenge has earned him an untrustworthy reputation - even among his friends. Urban is a well-known face on the big screen, appearing as McCoy in Star Trek and Eomer in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Jack Quaid as Hugh "Hughie" Campbell - Hughie was happily living a mundane life before a reckless superhero decimated his girlfriend. Butcher heard this story and recruited Hughie into his new incarnation of The Boys, even though the ex-sales assistant is clearly not cut from the same cloth as himself. Despite constantly freaking out, Hughie managed to kill one member of The Seven (Translucent) and sleep with another (Starlight) in season 1. Quaid currently voices Boimler in Star Trek: Lower Decks.
Tomer Capon as Frenchie - Butcher's recklessness caused a rift with Frenchie in the past, but this Boys veteran is now firmly back on the bandwagon. A specialist in weapons and explosives, Frenchie is a calming presence and a handy ally, even if he's much less violent compared to his comic counterpart. Frenchie is kind to Hughie and developed a bond with The Female.
Laz Alonso as Mother's Milk - Known to his friends as M.M., Laz Alonso's character is another original member of The Boys and another voice of reason in the face of Butcher's chaos. A family man trying to live a quiet life, Butcher dragged M.M. back into the fight and now there's no going back. M.M. frequently clashes with Frenchy, but remains the most level-headed of The Boys, as well as their strategic mind. Alonso has appeared in Avatar as Tsu-tey and the Fast & Furious franchise as Felix.
Karen Fukuhara as Kimiko "The Female" - In a change from the comic books, the live-action version of The Female was an unwilling Compound V test subject, given superhuman strength after being forcibly ripped from her family. Kimiko's doesn't trust easily and remains silent, but she has built an understanding with Frenchie and is now a fully-fledged member of The Boys. Fukuhara is best known for playing Katana in the 2016 Suicide Squad movie.
The Boys Season 2 Returning Cast - The Seven
Antony Starr as Homelander - The world's most famous and powerful superhero, as well as the leader of Vought's The Seven, Homelander is the main villain of The Boys. With powers that essentially mirror DC's Superman, Homelander was created in a lab by Vought and now suffers a serious lack of empathy. A psychiatrist's dream, Homelander does what he wants with no moral qualms, but knows exactly how to massage the public into cheering him on.
Erin Moriarty as Annie January/Starlight - Not all superheroes are despicable. Annie January is able to wield light energy as her power and became the local superhero known as Starlight before working her way up into The Seven. Quickly learning how depraved the superhero industry really is, Starlight questions her path and begins a relationship with Hughie, initially unaware her new boyfriend is a member of The Boys. Feeling betrayed by Hughie, Starlight eventually came around in the season 1 finale and now looks to be working hand-in-hand with The Boys. Erin Moriarty played Hope in Jessica Jones.
Dominique McElligott as Queen Maeve - Another long-standing member of The Seven, Queen Maeve has accepted the realities of being a superhero, even if she secretly despises Homelander for his callous view of humanity. A direct parallel to Wonder Woman in terms of powers, Maeve was once romantically linked to Homelander, but her real-world relationship broke down due to Maeve's career as a leading superhero. Maeve sees herself in the innocent, aspiring Starlight and seeks to protect Annie. Dominique McElligott previously portrayed Hannah Conway in House of Cards.
Chace Crawford as The Deep - Another member of The Seven, The Deep was disgraced after Starlight outed him as a sexual predator in season 1, and now finds himself away from the spotlight as Vought try to preserve their reputation. Once a vain, egotistical narcissist, The Deep appears to be making gradual progress during his time away. Parodying Aquaman, The Deep can communicate with and control sea animals, although this usually ends badly for the creatures involved. Crawford is best known for playing Nate in Gossip Girl.
Jessie T. Usher as A-Train - The superhero responsible for killing Hughie's girlfriend would later murder his own partner as a crippling addiction to Compound V took hold. A-Train is a junkie barely hanging on to his place in The Seven, and suffered a heart attack while fighting Starlight as season 1 closed out. Struggling to remain on top form, A-Train's superpower is speed, making him the fastest man on Earth. Jessie T. Usher had a sizable role in Independence Day: Resurgence.
Nathan Mitchell as Black Noir - The mystery of The Seven. Clad in black and permanently masked, Black Noir's face has not been seen, nor have his abilities been properly explored. Apparently, it's Nathan Mitchell under the suit.
The Boys Season 2 Returning Cast - Other
Giancarlo Esposito as Mr. Edgar - With roles as Gus Fring in Better Call Saul and Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian, Giancarlo Esposito is the defining TV villain actor of 2020, rounding out his bad guy roles with The Boys' Mr. Edgar. The chief of Vought, Edgar was initially set to retire before Madelyn Stillwell's death in season 1, and now looks set for a bigger role.
Colby Minifie as Ashley Barrett - Ashley is one of Vought's PR gurus, constantly trying to make The Seven look good and perform well in the opinion polls. Long suffering (although it's not entirely undeserved), Ashley is the corporate voice of The Boys.
Malcolm Barrett as Seth - Another of Vought's PR team, Seth only had a small role in The Boys' first season, but is confirmed to return in season 2. He's the guy who had his penis frozen off while sleeping with an ice-powered superhero.
Jim Beaver as Robert Singer - Working for the CIA, Singer is skeptical of the U.S. government's dealings with Vought, but finds his hands tied. Beaver played Bobby Singer in Supernatural, which was also created by Eric Kripke, explaining the similar names of both characters.
Ann Cusack as Donna January - Starlight's mother won't be winning any parenting awards. Donna allowed Vought to experiment on Annie as a child, leading to her daughter's superhero abilities, and has been pushing Starlight's career like a beauty pageant mom ever since. Interestingly, Donna is seen with Annie and The Boys in the season 2 trailer.
Shantel VanSanten as Becca Butcher - Appearing mostly in flashbacks in The Boys season 1, Becca Butcher finally appeared alive and well in the season finale. The full truth of her disappearance is yet to be revealed.
Samer Salem as Naqib - A terrorist given explosive superhuman abilities thanks to Homelander smuggling out Compound V, Naqib was portrayed by Krishan Dutt in The Boys season 1, but according to IMDB, will be played by Samer Salem in season 2.
Nicola Correia-Damude as Elena - The estranged ex-girlfriend of Queen Maeve.
The Boys Season 2 New Cast & Characters
Aya Cash as Stormfront - By far the biggest new addition to The Boys season 2, Stormfront is gender-flipped from the comic books and appears to have a slightly different backstory. Masquerading as a modern-day viking superhero, Stormfront in the comics was the product of Nazi Germany's Compound V experiments, remaining entrenched in Hitler's politics. Aya Cash's Stormfront may have similarly dark leanings, but The Boys is portraying her as a confident, breezy, social media savvy superhero with powers akin to Thor or Shazam. Aya Cash starred in You're The Worst.
Shawn Ashmore as Lamplighter - A former member of The Seven, recently retired when The Boys season 1 begins. Lamplighter was responsible for burning Mallory's grandchildren alive and splitting up the first version of The Boys. Season 2 will mark the debut of this Green Lantern-esque hero. In a great nod to superhero movie history, Lamplighter (who has mastery over fire as a superpower) will be played by Shawn Ashmore, otherwise known as Iceman in the X-Men series.
Cameron Crovetti as Ryan - Homelander and Becca's son appeared in the final scene of The Boys' first season, but he'll be played by Cameron Crovetti in season 2. This half-Supe hybrid's powers are unknown, but trailer footage suggests Homelander will be trying to train him with all of his usual subtlety and patience.
Lovina Yavari as Ruby - A newcomer in The Boys season 2. Lovina Yavari enjoyed a minor role in The Boys' first season as a supe with telekinesis. She also appeared in the Shazam movie.
P.J. Byrne as Bourke - Having previously featured in Black Lightning and voiced Bolin in The Legend of Kora, P.J. Byrne will play a character called Bourke in several episodes of The Boys season 2.
Goran Visnjic as Alistair Adana - Visnjic worked with Eric Kripke previously in Timeless and will play Alistair, a religious church leader, in The Boys season 2.
Claudia Doumit as Victoria Neuman - Another Timeless alum, Victoria Neuman is a young congresswoman in the second season of The Boys.
Patton Oswalt in a mystery role - Although his part hasn't yet been confirmed, comedian Patton Oswalt confirmed he had a mystery role in The Boys season 2. Oswalt is best known for Agents of SHIELD, Ratatouille, and The King of Queens.