Everyone who watches The Boys knows that it’s a special show. Among all of the bodily explosions, dark humor and complete insanity, however, there is also already a lot of depth about hero worship and other societal issues which have continued to make the Amazon hit feel way more real than a lot of other superhero shows. While the new season has already brought us several treats, star Karl Urban has just revealed that there will also be a Lord of the Rings reunion happening in Season 2, as actor John Noble will be making his way to the series.
The Boys has been all about family and other close relationships in its second season, so it should come as no surprise to fans that even more relatives are on the way. Karl Urban broke the news on Instagram recently that his Billy Butcher (who’s been dealing with a lot of family trouble this season) will soon be getting an on-screen dad in the form of his former Lord of the Rings co-star, John Noble. Take a look!
Noble will be joining the cast soon, too, as his Sam Butcher will step into the action (somehow) during Episode 7. If the erstwhile Denethor, Steward of Gondor, doesn't look familiar to you, then you likely recognize John Noble from several other projects. This includes his five-season stint on Fringe, as well as roles on shows like 24, Sleepy Hollow, Legends of Tomorrow, The Blacklist and Elementary.
What we don’t know right now is just how much of John Noble’s Sam Butcher we’ll be treated to as Season 2 wraps up, or how the character that Karl Urban described as “a brutal force of nature” will impact the action. When we last saw Billy, he was, indeed, enjoying some family time as he considered retiring from his long-time mission of trying to take down The Seven. While it’s possible that his father could come in sweetly during the next episode, that description of Sam (along with pretty much every damn thing about The Boys) says that that’s as close to an impossibility as can be.
In the comics, Sam was abusive and frequently beat Billy’s mom as the young child listened. This led to Billy resenting his dad and becoming closer to his mother and her side of the family. It also led to Billy acting out in school and eventually developing some of the same anger issues Sam had, to the point where Billy once seriously considered trying to kill the elder Butcher.
While The Boys has certainly deviated from its source material before, this set up makes it sound like Billy and Sam might not have the best reunion when we first see him. But, considering how deep Billy’s hatred goes for Vought and everything surrounding The Seven, I can totally see him using his old man’s brutality to his advantage against his enemies if he can.
Season 2 will continue on Amazon this Friday, and we can all see then how John Noble and Karl Urban meet on the gloriously bloody and wackadoo playing field that is The Boys. For more on what to watch in the coming weeks, be sure to check out our guide to fall TV!
