'The Boys' Season 4: 6 hilarious Marvel references that left us in splits
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Season 4 of 'The Boys' continues to deliver its trademark blend of dark humor, intense action, and biting satire, all while taking sharp jabs at superhero culture.
Episode 5 is no exception, delighting fans with many hilarious Marvel references that perfectly encapsulate the show's irreverent tone. In a world where superheroes are marketed and managed like celebrities, 'The Boys' has always excelled at skewering the often sanitized and glossy image of the genre, and this episode turns that up to eleven.
These nods serve to entertain and highlight the stark contrasts between the satirical universe of 'The Boys' and the more mainstream superhero narratives we're accustomed to.
As we navigate through the outrageous and chaotic antics of the episode, these Marvel references provide a delightful layer of meta-humor, reminding us why 'The Boys' remains a standout in the crowded landscape of superhero media.
The Curse of Fu Manchu and its satirical nod to Marvel’s past
At the beginning of the Vought V52 Expo, a graphic details the company’s history, highlighting its earliest movies before recent hits like 'Rising Tide' and 'Dawn of the Seven'. Among these is a poster for a Crimson Countess film resembling a ‘70s Charles Bronson thriller.
Notably, Vought’s first superhero movie, 'Bombsight in The Curse of Fu Manchu', released in 1950, is featured. Fu Manchu, a supervillain created by English author Sax Rohmer, is the originator of the evil criminal mastermind archetype, influencing many villain tropes. However, in recent years, Fu Manchu has faced criticism for perpetuating racist stereotypes.
Marvel Comics-based Shang-Chi’s father on Fu Manchu, even using the name, but renamed the character Wenwu for the film adaptation. Vought’s inclusion of the Fu Manchu character acknowledges the racist elements in Marvel's past, satirizing the company’s attempts to obscure this controversial history.
'The Boys' sarcastically mocks Marvel’s endless reshoot cycle
After debuting the trailer for 'Training A-Train', an uplifting sports movie co-starring Will Ferrell as his running coach, A-Train reveals his next project: a Vought+ original thriller series titled 'Double Standard'. A-Train humorously mentions that 'Double Standard' has completed 'reshooting the reshoots,' signaling its impending release.
This quip cleverly mocks Marvel Studios' notorious habit of extensive reshoots. Instead of perfecting scripts beforehand, Marvel often rushes projects into production, refining the story through a protracted reshoot process. For instance, 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' underwent so many reshoots that the final film ended up nearly incoherent.
A-Train’s comment is likely a direct jab at the troubled production of Marvel’s upcoming 'Captain America: Brave New World', which has faced numerous reshoots, potentially leaving little of the original script intact.
Vought’s new purchase satirizes Marvel’s marketing tactics
Marvel movies are infamous for their product placement, showcasing fancy gadgets in luxurious Audi cars in nearly every MCU film. At Vought’s V52 Expo in 'The Boys' Season 4, Episode 5, The Deep unveils an all-new innovation in product placement technology called 'custom digital product placement.'
This cutting-edge program digitally alters branded products on-screen based on the viewers. For example, if a viewer is a teetotaler, the scene will feature a soda brand instead of a beer brand.
This clever satire highlights the intrusive nature of corporations that invade customers' privacy and mine data to push more products.
It’s a pointed critique of how far companies will go to tailor their advertising, raising the possibility that platforms like Disney+ might one day modify product placements in Marvel films to suit individual subscriber profiles based on their personal data.
The Deep mocks Marvel’s award wins with MTV movie award brag
When The Deep introduces Vought’s new digital product placement program in 'The Boys' Season 4, Episode 5, he uses a clip from his MTV Movie Award-winning movie 'Rising Tide' to demonstrate. He brags about the film’s MTV Movie Award wins with the same tone as if he’d won a slew of Oscars, hilariously referencing the superhero genre’s dismissal in Hollywood awards circles.
While Marvel hasn't been entirely unsuccessful at the Academy Awards 'Black Panther' was nominated for Best Picture its films generally find more success at the MTV Movie Awards than the Oscars.
Marvel movies often sweep categories like Best Summer Movie So Far, Best Cameo, Best Shirtless Performance, and Best Kick-Ass Cast at the MTV Movie Awards, whereas they struggle to win Oscars in categories like Best Actor, Best Director, or Best Adapted Screenplay. This moment underscores the gap between popular acclaim and critical recognition for superhero films.
VCU's Phase 7-19 timeline hilariously mocks MCU’s overplanning
The best joke about the MCU in 'The Boys' Season 4, Episode 5 occurs when The Deep and his co-host reveal the content line-up for Phases 7 through 19 of the Vought Cinematic Universe (VCU). Mirroring the MCU’s structure, this VCU line-up includes Seven movie in every phase, except Phase 10, when younger heroes take over.
This brilliantly self-aware nod to the MCU’s overplanning parodies Kevin Feige’s multi-phase announcements. The satire digs deeper by referencing Feige’s recent ambitious 'Multiverse Saga' slate (Phases 4 through 6), which was reportedly driven by Disney's demands rather than Marvel’s.
These corporate expos prioritize shareholder satisfaction over fan service, making 'The Boys' take on the VCU both a sharp critique and a hilarious commentary on the nature of modern cinematic universes.
A-Train satirizes 'Bigger Budget, Better Quality' mindset
When A-Train discusses his new Vought+ original series *Double Standard*, he tells fans that the numerous reshoots have made it “the most expensive TV show ever made,” humorously adding, “So, it’s gotta be good, right?”
This absurd assumption that pouring millions into a project guarantees its quality satirizes not only Marvel and DC’s approach but the entire Hollywood studio system's mindset. Studios often believe that more money equates to a better product.
A-Train’s belief that high costs ensure quality is debunked by Marvel’s own history of lackluster TV shows. For instance, 'Secret Invasion', one of the most expensive TV shows ever made, was critically panned and considered one of the worst in the MCU.
A-Train’s new show may have a hefty price tag, but that doesn’t guarantee its success. This moment highlights the flawed logic of equating budget with quality, poking fun at Hollywood’s extravagant spending habits.
'The Boys' Season 4 trailer
