Karl Urban to star in Amazon’s The Boys as Billy Butcher

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Over the years, I've come to love Karl Urban. The man always seems to be having a blast in whatever project he takes on, including THE LORD OF THE RINGS, THE BOURNE SUPREMACY, STAR TREK, DREDD, and THOR: RAGNAROK. Karl Urban's next project will see the actor returning to the small-screen in an upcoming Amazon series based upon The Boys, a comic by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson.

Set in a world where superheroes embrace the darker side of their massive celebrity and fame, the series revolves around a group of vigilantes known informally as "the boys," who set out to take down corrupt superheroes with little more than blue-collar grit and the willingness to fight dirty. Karl Urban is set to play Billy Butcher, the mysterious and brutal leader of The Boys who carries a personal but secret agenda. Butcher approaches Hughie (Jack Quaid), claiming to be a shadowy government operative. Capitalizing on Hughie’s rage over his girlfriend Robin’s accidental death at the hands of Superhero A-Train (Jesse T. Usher), Butcher enlists Hughie as part of his plan to bring down the Superhero franchise. Eric Kripke (Supernatural) will write the series as well as serve as show-runner, with the pilot set to be directed by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen (Preacher). Karen Fukuhara (SUICIDE SQUAD), Erin Moriarty (True Detective), Antony Starr (Banshee), Dominique McElliogott (Hell on Wheels), and Chace Crawford (Gossip Girl) will also star in The Boys.

Amazon has already given The Boys an eight-episode order and it's expected that the series will begin production this spring for a 2019 debut. "In a landscape saturated with superhero shows, The Boys is the next evolution in this popular genre," said Amazon Studios' head of scripted series Sharon Tal Yguado. "With Eric, Evan, Seth and Original Film all behind this series, we are excited to adapt this popular comic, from the visionary minds of Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, for television." If you'd like a little more Karl Urban in your lives, our own Editor-in-Chief Paul Shirey spoke with him last month about a variety of topics, including reprising the role of Dredd, returning as Dr. McCoy for more STAR TREK, and if he'd ever play Batman.