THE BOYS Animated Spinoff “Cancellation” Was Misunderstood as Showrunner Says It Was Always Meant to Be One-and-Done
When The Boys exploded onto Prime Video in 2019, it quickly carved out its own brutal, hilarious corner of the superhero genre.
What started as a savage parody of comic book movies has since evolved into a full-blown franchise with multiple spinoffs and more projects on the way. Even though the main series will wrap up with Season 5, the Supe-filled universe isn’t slowing down.
But one project fans thought was cancelled may have never actually been meant to continue in the first place.
Last year, The Boys Presents: Diabolical was believed to have been cancelled after creator Eric Kripke said the animated anthology wouldn’t be returning.
The show debuted as the franchise’s first spinoff and featured a series of standalone animated stories set in the twisted world of The Boys. Each episode spotlighted different Supes, occasionally featuring familiar characters like Homelander.
Despite strong reviews and a very impressive 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes, it sounded like the show simply didn’t perform well enough to continue.
Now, though, the story behind Diabolical’s fate has been clarified.
In a recent interview, showrunner Simon Racioppa explained that the series was actually conceived as a one-off from the start. According to Racioppa, the project was created during a very specific moment for the franchise when production delays left fans waiting for new content.
“It was always supposed to be a single one-off. It was basically done. We did it in 10 months, just basically as something to give the fans something to watch because the main series was delayed because of the pandemic and nobody knew what was happening.”
So technically, Diabolical wasn’t scrapped by Prime Video at all. It fulfilled exactly what it was designed to do.
That doesn’t mean a return is impossible, though it doesn’t sound like anything is currently in motion. Kripke previously mentioned the show’s viewership wasn’t strong enough to justify continuing it, but Racioppa hasn’t ruled out revisiting the concept someday.
“We have ideas. There’s certainly lots of space. Like Invincible [which he is the co-showrunner of], there’s lots of great stories to tell in that world, but there’s nothing I can announce about that right now, unfortunately.”
Even if Diabolical stays a one-season experiment, the world of The Boys is still expanding in several directions.
The flagship series is gearing up for its final run with The Boys Season 5 arriving April 8, 2026. The upcoming season is expected to deliver the biggest and most chaotic chapter of the show yet as the story finally reaches its end.
Meanwhile, the franchise continues growing through spinoffs. The college-set series Gen V is expected to continue with a third season, though Prime Video hasn’t made the renewal official yet.
A prequel series titled Vought Rising is also on the way, taking audiences back to the 1950s and exploring the early days of the infamous corporation. The series will bring back Jensen Ackles as Soldier Boy alongside Aya Cash returning as Stormfront.
Another project in development is The Boys: Mexico, which will expand the franchise internationally. The series involves Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, Diego Luna, and Gael García Bernal, with Luna and Bernal potentially starring.
Considering how successful The Boys has been for Prime Video, it’s no surprise the studio is continuing to build out this universe even after the main show concludes. The twisted history of Vought and the chaotic world of Supes still offer plenty of story opportunities.
So while fans probably shouldn’t expect The Boys Presents: Diabolical Season 2 anytime soon, the franchise itself is far from finished.
Source: Polygon