Warning: SPOILERS for The Boys season 3 episode 1-3
The Boys season 3 packs plenty of Easter eggs, references, and hidden details into the first three episodes. It has been nearly two years since The Boys season 2 ended on Prime Video, but the adventures of Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) and Hughie Campbell (Jack Quaid) are finally continuing. The hit superhero series in many ways has succeeded because of how it makes fun of the superhero obsession in pop culture and avoids being too similar to what Marvel and DC are doing with their live-action movies and TV shows.
Following the revelation that Stormfront (Aya Cash) is a Nazi, The Boys season 3 picks up a year after season 2 as Vought and The Seven are doing everything they can to turn their reputation around. Hughie finds himself in a new position of power after joining the Federal Bureau of Superhuman Affairs and working with Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit), a secret head-popping Supe. And while Billy and the team now have to answer to Hughie and attempt to take down Supes the "right way," they quickly realize that this is not the best path. Their movement to find a weapon capable of killing Homelander (Antony Starr) comes as the powerful Supe becomes even more unhinged, especially after Starlight (Erin Moriarty) becomes co-captain of The Seven.
Throughout the various storylines The Boys season 3 episodes 1-3 tackle, the series includes plenty of Easter eggs to the show's past and the comics from Garth Ennis and Darrick Robertson that inspired it. There are also quite a few references to other superhero materials, pop culture, and Hollywood in general. Here is a guide to everything you missed in The Boys season 3 episodes 1-3.
Charlize Theron Joins The Boys Season 3 (After Doctor Strange 2)
The Boys season 3 kicks off with a major surprise, as Charlize Theron appears in her latest surprise superhero cameo role. Her role as Stormfront in the fictional Dawn of the Seven movie works within the show as an explanation for Vought recasting the role and reshooting parts of the movie after Stormfront's Nazi origin was revealed to the public. Seeing Charlize Theron in The Boys season 3 would have been fantastic on its own, but now it happens after audiences saw her play Clea in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' post-credits scene. While the Dawn of the Seven ending is not shown, Charlize Theron's Stormfront surely died.
The Boys Season 3 References Snyder Cut & Rogue One Reshoots
The Dawn of the Seven movie allowed The Boys season 3 to reference two of Hollywood's most infamous cases for massive reshoots, Justice League and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The references to Warner Bros.' big DC movie come through the fan campaign to #ReleaseTheBourkeCut of Dawn of the Seven, mirroring the successful movement for Zack Snyder's cut of Justice League to be released after he left the project and Joss Whedon reshot most of the movie ahead of its theatrical release. Ironically, The Boys season 2 already revealed Joss Whedon rewrote scenes for Dawn of the Seven. The Boys season 3 continues by revealing Tony Gilroy was really in charge of the reshoots, a clear reference to the director's involvement in Rogue One's reshoots.
"He's Not Alone" Mocks MCU's A-Force Moments
DC and Star Wars aren't the only targets of The Boys season 3's references, as a likely shot at the Marvel Cinematic Universe also comes through Dawn of the Seven. When Homelander is facing off with Stormfront, she says that he can't stop her alone, leading Starlight to say, "He's not alone," before all of The Seven join him. This mocks the MCU's attempts to have an A-Force moment in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame where its biggest female heroes team up. It flips Black Widow's line in Infinity War, where she says, "She's not alone" as Scarlet Witch fights Proxima Midnight.
The Boys Season 3 Parodies Ant-Man (& Your Thanos Theories)
The Boys season 3 episode 1's references also include a parody of Marvel's Ant-Man and the popular theories about how he could've defeated Thanos. This comes through the introduction of a size-changing Supe known as Termite, who is seen at the beginning of the season using these powers to satisfy his partner. The end result is quite disturbing, as Termite sneezes while inside his partner and splits him in half. At this moment, The Boys season 3 references the popular theory that Ant-Man should have killed Thanos in Avengers: Endgame by going inside the Mad Titan's body somehow and then turning into Giant-Man. It is safe to say The Boys' version of the event is nowhere close to how the MCU would have done it.
Cameron Coleman Returns After Seven on 7 Viral Marketing
The long wait for The Boys season 3 meant Prime Video creating a series of YouTube shorts called Seven on 7 with Cameron Coleman that provided monthly updates about what was happening in Vought's world. Matthew Edison reprises his role as Cameron Coleman in The Boys season 3 episode 1, where he gets the opportunity to speak with Homelander. It's a perfectly in-character appearance for Coleman, as he uses his new show, The Cameron Coleman Hour, to continue criticizing the mainstream media.
The Boys Season 3 References QAnon JFK Conspiracy
A background detail in The Boys season 3 also references the belief among some QAnon believers that John F. Kennedy Jr. was going to return in 2021 despite his death in 1999. This comes as a TV news report covering the Stormfront supporters - known as Stormchasers - are shown on the screen and the ticker mentions they are waiting for JFK Jr.'s return. QAnon believers gathered in Dallas in 2021 at the spot where John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 but did not see JFK Jr. return. The moment quite clearly further aligns Stormfront's supporters with Donald Trump supporters as part of The Boys' political commentary.
Homelander's Flight 37 Footage Returns
There are also multiple callbacks in The Boys season 3 to Homelander's Flight 37 plane crash footage. As shown in season 1, Homelander and Queen Maeve's attempt to save a plane from terrorists went awry, leading to Homelander abandoning the plane instead of trying to save the passengers. Footage from the event was later used by Maeve to blackmail Homelander and given to Billy Butcher and others. The Boys season 3 episodes 1-3 reference Flight 37 a few times, such as Billy watching the footage again and Starlight threatening Homelander that she'll release the footage.
Billy Butcher's Temp-V Brings The Boys Closer To The Comics
The big twist for The Boys season 3 is that Billy Butcher gains superpowers temporarily thanks to Vought's new invention, Temp-V, a drug that gives a regular human superpowers for 24 hours. Maeve secretly acquires three vials of Temp-V and gives them to Billy so he can take matters into his own hands when he encounters a few new Supes. Although this is just now happening in Prime Video's superhero show, Billy and The Boys having temporary powers is something the comics used from early on. Now after nailing (and arguably improving) their characterizations, The Boys season 3 giving Billy powers brings the show even closer to the comics.
Billy Butcher's Cookie Jar References His Dog, Terror
The Boys season 3 also includes a fun nod to Billy Butcher's dog, Terror, as well. The pup made an appearance in season 2 where it was revealed that Terror doesn't live with Billy. Instead of having the dog with him at home, it seems Billy has a different reminder of him in the form of a cookie jar that has a striking resemblance to Terror.
The Boys: Diabolical's Red River Assisted Living Connection
Those who have explored the extended canon of The Boys also might recognize the mention of Red River during season 3. The location for Supe children who were abandoned by their parents is prominently featured in The Boys season 3 episode 2. This comes after Red River Assisted Living debuted in the animated anthology series, The Boys Presents: Diabolical episode 2. Red River serves as the origin for a group of disgruntled Supes who make it their mission to kill their parents after learning the truth about Compound-V. The Boys season 3 builds on this mythology by connecting Victoria Neuman's past to the institution.
Soldier Boy's Payback Team Gets A Very Different Lineup
Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) appears sparingly throughout The Boys season 3 episodes 1-3, but the show does introduce his superteam, Payback, in the process. The lineup features Crimson Countess, Mindstorm, Swatto, the T&T Twins, Black Noir, and Gunpowder under Soldier Boy's leadership. The Boys season 3 gives Soldier Boy's Payback team several different members compared to the comics. The show excludes usual members like Tek Knight, Mind-Droid, and Eagle the Archer by adding Mindstorm, the T&T Twins, and Black Noir to the lineup instead.
The Boys Season 3's Little Nina Is Different From The Comics
The Boys season 3 episode 3 also introduces another important character from the comics as Little Nina (Katia Winter) appears. In the original comics, Little Nina is a powerful Russian crime boss who worked with Vought and created her own army of Supes using a variation of Compound-V. She got her name due to her short stature. The Boys season 3's Little Nina isn't nearly as tiny, as she's of an average height. She is still a Russian crime boss, who Frenchie used to work for.
Every New Supe In The Boys Season 3 Episodes 1-3
There are plenty of new supes in The Boys season 3 episodes 1-3 as well. This includes the first appearances of Soldier Boy and Crimson Countess after previously being mentioned. The season also features the debuts of Super Sonic, Termite, Silver Kincaid, Moonshadow, Livewire, Swatto, the T&T Twins, Mindstorm, and Neuman's old friend Tony. There are also several The Boys season 3 Easter eggs in the first three episodes that confirm the existence of other Supes: Cold Snap, Stacker, Airburst, Europo, Groundhawk, Oh Father, Critter, and Flamer.
New episodes of The Boys season 3 release every Friday on Prime Video.