Image via Prime Video
Published Jun 20, 2026, 11:39 PM EDT
Jiminna Shillingford is an avid reader and a passionate storyteller. She is obsessed with all things TV, from anime and romantic fantasy to action-packed series. With that deep affection, Jiminna longs to share her excitement with all her readers through the Collider platform as a TV author. Through her writing she has created stories and blog posts of amazing book recommendations, showcasing her love of writing. Jiminna's goal is to inspire others to discover and embrace their love of stories in all of its forms.
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Prime Video's The Boys quickly became one of the most talked-about superhero action shows ever created. The series follows a group of vigilantes led by Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) as they take on powerful superheroes whose public image hides corruption, corporate manipulation, and abuse. Rather than doing what most in the genre do, the series doesn't treat heroes as purely symbols of hope. It actually offers audiences a captivating tale of what can happen when power, fame, and money matter more than doing the right thing. With a compelling premise like that, it can be hard to find another series as captivatingly good as The Boys, especially now that it's over, but it isn't impossible.
Shows like the miniseries Watchmen, which offers audiences a political look at masked heroes, historical power, and justice, and the animated wild ride that is The Boys Presents: Diabolical, which gives fans of The Boys more of the show's universe, are just two solid substitutes for the gory action series. On this list are eight shows that are absolutely perfect to stream as a replacement for an icon even as great as The Boys.
1 'Lucifer' (2016–2021)
Image via NetflixLucifer is a captivating crime drama that is a fantastic streaming replacement for The Boys, as the series plays with temptation, morality, and larger-than-life characters behaving badly. The series follows the Devil, Lucifer Morningstar (Tom Ellis), who grows bored of ruling Hell and abandons his throne to run his Los Angeles nightclub. With a dedication to indulge in human experiences, Lucifer finds himself partnered with detective Chloe Decker (Lauren German) on LAPD cases.
Lucifer may not be the bloody delight that is The Boys, but the show does make for an ideal substitute, as it delivers a mesh of dark humor, supernatural chaos, emotional messiness, and crime-solving, giving audiences a parallel view of powerful beings with very human flaws. Lucifer is no doubt a much lighter and more comedic good time, but it features some pretty heavy themes, ones that challenge the notion of good vs. evil as seen in The Boys. Lucifer definitely works as a fantastic replacement for the superhero action series, perfect for those who desire similar anti-hero energy but without the heart-stopping brutality.
2 'Gen V' (2023–2024)
Image via Prime VideoThis clever spin-off is the college, teen drama approach to The Boys. Gen V, set in the super-powered college of Godolkin University, centers on Marie Moreau (Jaz Sinclair) and her new friends as their college life is disrupted by shady experiments and sinister plots.
Seeing as this is an actual spin-off of The Boys, it makes for a great alternative that doesn’t feel watered down. With just as much chaos, drama, and epic violence, Gen V is the perfect outrageous watch for viewers who are yearning for more superhero chaos. Satire is practically written into the show’s DNA, and being a part of The Boys universe allows for it to expand on many of the themes featured in its predecessor, while also carving out its own unique identity through its young characters, outlandish frat parties, and plenty of shocking twists. Gen V is a masterful, unapologetic, R-rated teen drama that earns its place on this list of The Boys substitutes.
3 'The Boys Presents: Diabolical' (2022)
Image via Prime VideoThe Boys Presents: Diabolical is an animated approach to The Boys universe and stands as one of the easiest, most bingeable replacements on this list. The animated anthology consists of eight short episodes that expand The Boys with R-rated, irreverent stories.
For anyone who misses The Boys, Diabolical is the perfect, outrageous, and wholly unpredictable watch to get into. Each episode stands on its own, often jumping from cartoonish mayhem to plain old gross-out comedy. Diabolical doesn’t need a consistent plot throughout its season; instead, it’s a mesh of chaos that stands as perfect from its very first episode, right on up to the rolling credits on its last. It’s the ideal candidate for anyone hoping to fill the gaping wound of TV boredom that The Boys’ end may have left them with.
Collider Exclusive · Marvel Personality Quiz Which MCU Hero Are You? Spider-Man · Daredevil · Iron Man · Punisher · Thor · Cap
Six heroes. One destiny. Answer 10 questions to discover which Marvel Cinematic Universe hero shares your personality, values, and fighting spirit. Will you swing, fly, or thunder your way to glory?
🕷️Spider-Man
😈Daredevil
🤖Iron Man
💀Punisher
⚡Thor
🛡️Cap
FIND YOUR HERO →
01
What drives you to do what's right? Choose the answer that feels most like you.
AWith great power comes great responsibility — I protect those who can't protect themselves. BMy faith and my conscience — I believe justice must be served, even in the dark. CLegacy and ego, honestly — but I've learned that others depend on me now. DThe system failed. Someone has to make sure the guilty actually pay. EDuty to the innocent and honour to my name — I was born to protect realms. FThe values I was raised with — freedom, decency, and never backing down from a bully.
NEXT QUESTION →
02
It's 2 AM. Where are you? Your answer says more about you than you'd think.
ASwinging between skyscrapers, keeping an eye on the neighbourhood. BRunning rooftops in Hell's Kitchen, listening for trouble. CIn my lab, upgrading my suit with a cold cup of coffee nearby. DStaking out a target I've been tracking for three weeks. ESomewhere between the stars, or at a feast that got out of hand. FOn a morning run — I was up at 4, actually. Couldn't sleep.
NEXT QUESTION →
03
How do you handle a villain who keeps escaping justice? Every hero has a method. What's yours?
AWeb them up and leave them for the police — again. BBuild an airtight case and dismantle their entire operation from the inside. CDeploy a containment system I designed specifically for them. Tech wins. DMake sure they don't escape a third time. Permanently. EChallenge them to single combat. Honour demands a decisive end. FRally allies, adapt the plan, and bring them in — by the book, even if it's hard.
NEXT QUESTION →
04
How do you feel about keeping a secret identity? The mask — or the lack of one — says everything.
AEssential — my loved ones would be in danger if anyone found out who I am. BCritical — the mask protects my mission as much as my face. COverrated — I announced myself to the world and I'd do it again. DI'm a ghost. The less people know about me, the better. EMy name is known across the Nine Realms. There's no hiding it. FI don't hide — but I understand why some need to. Transparency builds trust.
NEXT QUESTION →
05
You've lost someone important because of your heroism. How do you carry that? Every hero pays a price. The question is how they pay it.
AWith guilt that never fully goes away — it pushes me to do better, every single day. BI channel it into purpose — their memory is the reason I keep fighting. CI buried myself in work for years. I'm only recently learning to face it. DIt transformed me completely. I'm not the same person I was before. EWith warrior's grief — I honour them by fighting with everything I have. FI keep moving forward. Stopping means letting the loss win.
NEXT QUESTION →
06
What's your role when working with a team? Who you are under pressure is who you actually are.
AThe enthusiastic wildcard who somehow makes it work — and keeps the mood up. BThe strategist who works best alone but shows up when it matters most. CThe one who funds it, equips it, and occasionally takes over the whole operation. DI don't do teams. I'm more effective operating solo, on my terms. EThe heavy hitter — I crash in, draw fire, and turn the tide of battle. FThe leader — I earn trust, build the plan, and make sure no one gets left behind.
NEXT QUESTION →
07
Where do you draw the line between justice and revenge? The answer defines what kind of hero you really are.
AClearly — I don't kill, and I wrestle with that line constantly. BI try to hold the line, but I've come terrifyingly close to crossing it. CPractically — I do what's necessary to protect people, including hard calls. DI crossed that line long ago. What I do is justice — the system just won't admit it. EIn battle, victory is justice. Mercy is earned — not automatic. FFirmly. The moment we abandon our principles, we become what we fight against.
NEXT QUESTION →
08
When you're not saving the world, what does life look like? The person behind the mask is always the more interesting story.
ATrying to juggle school, a part-time job, and not failing my friends. BWorking as a lawyer by day, fighting for justice in court and on the streets. CRunning a global company, attending galas, and pretending I'm sleeping enough. DQuiet. Isolated. Surviving with a clear mission and no distractions. ENavigating a bizarre and fascinating mortal world — coffee is extraordinary. FAdapting to a world decades ahead of everything I knew. Quietly, stubbornly.
NEXT QUESTION →
09
What keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you're honest about what you're actually afraid of.
AThe people I couldn't save — and the ones I might not reach in time tomorrow. BWhether the monster I fight every night is starting to live inside me too. CThe threats I can see coming and whether my tech is actually good enough. DNothing. Silence is the only peace I get. I've made my choices. EWhether I'm truly worthy — of the hammer, of the throne, of the people I protect. FA world where no one stands up anymore. Where good people do nothing.
NEXT QUESTION →
10
The battle is lost. You're outnumbered, outgunned, and exhausted. What do you do? This is your tiebreaker — choose carefully.
ACrack a joke to buy a second, then find the one web shot that changes everything. BBlock out everything except the sound of the next threat — and keep going. CActivate the emergency protocol I built for exactly this scenario. Always have a plan. DI don't accept that it's lost. I keep fighting until I physically cannot anymore. ECall the lightning. All of it. The storm answers to me. FPick up the shield. Stand up. Because as long as I can stand, it's not over.
REVEAL MY HERO →
Your Hero Has Been Identified Your MCU Hero Is…
Based on your answers, the Marvel hero who matches your spirit, values, and instincts has been revealed.
🕷️ Spider-Man
You carry the weight of the world on shoulders that are younger than they should have to be — funny, loyal, and endlessly self-sacrificing.
- You do the right thing not because it's easy, but because no one else will.
- You understand that responsibility isn't a burden you choose — it's one that finds you.
- Whether it's a neighbourhood mugging or a multiverse crisis, you show up.
- Peter Parker's lesson — that great power demands great responsibility — isn't a slogan to you. It's the code you live by, even when it costs you everything.
😈 Daredevil
You fight in the shadows between law and chaos, guided by a fierce moral compass that refuses to let the guilty walk free.
- You use every tool available — your mind, your body, your faith — to protect those the system overlooks.
- You've looked into the darkness and chosen not to become it, though the line has never been easy.
- Matt Murdock's duality — champion in the courtroom, devil in the alley — mirrors your own.
- Relentless, conflicted, and unwilling to stop. That is exactly you.
🤖 Iron Man
Brilliant, driven, and occasionally insufferable — but always the person who solves the unsolvable problem.
- You lead with your mind and back it up with resources, innovation, and a stubbornness that borders on heroic.
- You started out looking out for yourself, but somewhere along the way the world became your responsibility.
- Tony Stark's arc — from ego to sacrifice — is your arc too.
- You build, you plan, and when the moment comes, you're willing to give everything. Because in the end, you're Iron Man.
💀 The Punisher
You've been through fire that would break most people — and it did change you, completely. What's left is unyielding, relentless, and operating by a code forged in grief.
- You don't ask for forgiveness, and you don't expect gratitude.
- You see a corrupt, broken world and you've decided to do something about it, consequences be damned.
- Frank Castle's war is born from love twisted by loss — and so is yours.
- Uncompromising and unflinching — the world may not agree with your methods, but your conviction is absolute.
⚡ Thor
Powerful, proud, and on a lifelong journey to become worthy of the legend you carry.
- You lead with strength but have learned — sometimes painfully — that true greatness comes from humility and growth.
- You're larger than life, yet more vulnerable than you let on.
- Thor's story is one of transformation: from arrogant prince to worthy king, from isolated warrior to beloved protector.
- You bring the storm when it's needed — and the warmth when it matters just as much.
🛡️ Captain America
You believe in something bigger than yourself — and you fight for it even when the world has moved on and nobody else will.
- You don't bully the small guy, and you never stop when it gets hard.
- Steve Rogers didn't become a hero when he got the serum — he was always one. So were you.
- Your strength isn't in your fists; it's in your refusal to compromise what's right, no matter the cost.
- In a world full of people taking the easy road, you're the one who picks up the shield and stands up — every single time.
↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ
4 'Misfits' (2009–2013)
Image via Channel 4This underrated good time is just as darkly humorous and hilariously raunchy as The Boys. Misfits is a teen superhero drama that follows a group of teenage offenders sentenced to community service as they are unexpectedly caught up in an electrical storm that somehow gifts them superpowers.
Misfits may be on the older side, but it remains a quality watch. It's well-known for its binge-watch factor and opening seasons of teenage chaos that feature themes of sex, powers, and emotional drama that can be surprisingly emotional. The British series delivers a genuine story that rejects the clean, heroic versions of superpowers, offering audiences characters that are far from polished icons and chosen ones. Misfits wields a scrappy charm and a reckless energy that would definitely appeal to any The Boys fans. The series is a true cult classic, with an anarchic ensemble, a mixture of genres, and crude humor.
5 'Peacemaker' (2022–2025)
Image via HBO MaxPeacemaker is a hilarious DC series that makes for one of the best replacements for The Boys, simply because it understands how violent, funny, and oddly emotional superhero stories can be when they don’t pretend their characters are actually normal. The James Gunn series centers on the morally twisted, “peace-at-any-cost” killer, Christopher Smith/Peacemaker (John Cena), as he navigates life and a new mission fresh off of saving the world with Task Force X and killing a teammate.
For viewers in need of The Boys' mixture of superhero satire, graphic violence, and a damaged individual steadily hiding behind their bravado, Peacemaker makes for one of the greatest recommendations. The DC action is brutally violent, a true mirror of The Boys' peak brutality, with iconic DC lore. Peacemaker features quite a few parallels to The Boys series: a smashing satirical edge, twisted supes, and an outsized sense of charm. The show is remarkably brilliant, with a distinct DC vibe and The Boys-like sensibility.
6 'Preacher' (2016–2019)
Image via AMCThis series is based on the Vertigo comics and stands as a pretty natural replacement for The Boys, as it shares that exact taste for deeply damaged characters, blasphemous humor, and comic-book violence. Preacher focuses on the disillusioned Texas Preacher, Jesse Custer (Dominic Cooper), who becomes the host to a mysterious entity — the “Word of God” — that grants him the power to command anyone to do his bidding.
Season after season, Preacher escalates its story, ranging from biker cult storylines to features of hell and beyond. The show is absolutely wild and makes for an ideal alternative to The Boys because of its twisted tone and irreverence. Preacher wields The Boys’ excess, delivering over-the-top violence and profanity. Its mixture of humor, gore, and bizarre drama makes it a captivating watch, but even beyond that, Preacher's Southern Gothic flair and supernatural/superhero elements make it a boundary-pushing good time.
7 'Watchmen' (2019)
Image via Warner Bros.Watchmen is one of the finest yet most underrated miniseries to ever exist. The DC universe expansion is set in an alternate 2019 Tulsa, where masked vigilante life is outlawed after a white supremacist group of costumed terrorists known as the Seventh Kavalry launches a campaign of racially-motivated violence. The series focuses on Angela Abar (Regina King), a police detective who is secretly operating as the costumed hero “Sister Night.”
Watchmen is simply far too great to be as underrated as it is. It’s relentlessly dark, ultra-violent, and steeped in political themes of power and corruption, all the while sustaining a darkly humorous tone. The show mirrors The Boys’ blend of the familiar and the subversive quite nicely, as it builds on its source with rather complex characters. Both series actually use morally gray leads to further their tale in a uniquely captivating way. Watchmen is twisty and well-paced, with brave storytelling and tone, making it a perfect The Boys-style recommendation for fans.
8 'Invincible' (2021–Present)
Image via Prime VideoThis Prime Video animated series is easily one of the greatest replacements for The Boys. Invincible follows a young teen, Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun), the son of the most powerful superhero on Earth, Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons), as he awaits powers of his own. When Mark’s superpowers finally emerge, he sets out to be an even better hero than his heroic father, only to discover that his dad isn’t actually the man he thinks he is.
Invincible is genuinely one of the most perfect shows to stream after binge-watching The Boys. The show knows just how to be extremely shocking, epically brutal, and wield emotional stakes with masterful precision. For audiences in need of an earnest alternative to the live-action bout of fun, Invincible truly works, as it delivers a clean image of superheroes who are naturally flawed humans beneath their costumes. From extreme gore, massive battles, and devastating betrayal to a young protagonist just trying to be a hero, a good friend, and a loving son, the series stands as one of the most relentlessly entertaining and emotionally compelling watches that can perfectly replace The Boys.
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