Karl Urban is heading back into comic book territory. The actor, who played Judge Dredd in the 2012 film adaptation Dredd, has been cast as the lead in Amazon's upcoming superhero series The Boys. Urban joins previously announced cast members Erin Moriarty (Jessica Jones) as Starlight, Anthony Starr (American Gothic) as Homelander, Chase Crawford (Gossip Girl) as The Deep, Jesse T. Usher (Survivor's Remorse) as A-Train, and Dominique McElligott (House of Cards) as Queen Maeve.
The Hollywood Reporter shared the news of Karl Urban's casting in the highly-anticipated series. He will play Billy Butcher, a complicated character in the comics. It is a role that should fit Urban like a glove and please fans of the actor. As his differing roles have proven, Urban tends to adapt to any role he is cast in. It is one of the reasons he has accrued such a devoted following. Since it is such a rare quality for an actor to have, The Boys has chosen its lead wisely.
As Billy, Karl Urban will play an enigmatic tough guy and leading member of The Boys, the namesake of the series. Fans of upbeat superhero fare should be prepared. Like Watchmen, The Boys series is a darker take on superheroes. In this world, certain superheroes have let fame corrupt their credo, endangering the world they once swore to protect. Stepping in to keep them in check and weed out the bad ones is a vigilante group called The Boys. While the comics have the group set up as a black ops team brought in by the CIA, studio loglines have made no mention of that aspect.
Serving as both the creator and showrunner of The Boys is a man who knows a lot about capturing camaraderie on-screen: Supernatural creator Eric Kripke. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg will direct. The show is an adaptation of the comic book series written and created by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. That comic series debuted in 2006 and ran until 2012. Amazon has given a direct-to-series order for the adaptation. It is currently commissioned for an eight-episode first season.
Karl Urban's casting marks another role in a comic book-related production since Dredd. The actor, who recently starred as Skurge in Thor: Ragnorock, has found an appreciative audience with them. With his performances in roles beyond the comic book universe (Star Trek, Lord of the Rings) Urban has built a name for himself as an actor who can lend weight to a role set in various worlds. Whether it is in outer space, Middle-earth, or a dystopian future, Urban can convince you that he is there. Given that, leading The Boys should be no problem whatsoever.
As of now, there is still no premiere date set for The Boys. That will surely change as production continues. To stay up to date on all of the upcoming premiere dates that are known, check out our guide to the midseason and summer premiere schedules.
