What we learned from The Boys’ NYCC panel: They are one (fun) insane bunch

Did we get a new trailer for The Boys Season 3 at this year’s New York Comic-Con? Did we get a sneak peek clip? How about the premiere date for the third outing of Amazon’s foul-mouthed drama? Any news on the upcoming spinoff starring Lizzie Broadway? That’s a big f*** no on all accounts.

But hey, at least we got an in-person panel with the cast at the annual pop culture event, including Antony Starr (Homelander), Chase Crawford (The Deep), Erin Moriarty (Starlight), Karen Fukuhara (Kimiko), and Jack Quaid (Hughie). And we got plenty of hilarious behind-the-scenes stories from the past two (highly successful) seasons of The Boys that demonstrate one thing: this is probably the funniest (and most fun) ensemble on television.

In all their interactions, the camaraderie between the group shines through and the friendly cast clearly enjoyed sharing plenty of highly embarrassing stories about each other.

We would have expected nothing less.

Think of these tidbits as necessary background discomfort/hilarity to further relish the scenes that already made you squirm.

The Boys: You’ll never guess the original inspiration for those creepy gills

Patton Oswalt seemed so perfect to voice The Deep’s gills, as part of his process of acceptance. The two of them singing “You are so beautiful” is just something I can never unsee.

But thanks to showrunner Eric Kripke’s original casting choice to voice those gills, I will forever be horrified: he wanted Helen Mirren! I’m not sure how serious Kripke was, but Starr said Kripke tried to get the esteemed actress for the gills but had to “settle” on Oswalt. Oh well. (thanks, now I am only imagining Helen Mirren’s voice in those scenes and I’m even more weirded out!).”

The gills were so (infamously) memorable, and was an awkward subject gleefully revisited by the cast during the panel. Crawford even recalled an airport TSA agent taking him aside to admit, “Dude, when you got your gills fingered, I felt that.” Uh, cool!

Not one to let it go, Erin Moriarty (Annie/Starlight) quipped, “I would not be surprised if there would be a gill category on PornHub after that,” labeling it a third G spot. Jack Quaid (Hughie Campbell) continued the joke, calling them “Gill spot.”

The Boys: We learned that Black Noir’s costume is the most convenient

Nathan Mitchell (Black Noir) wasn’t at the panel, but that didn’t stop the cast from poking fun at his expenses, with several of them sharing anecdotes of the actor nodding off between takes behind his opaque mask.

Moriarty explained there’s plenty of footage of him dozing in costume, even hinting that fans may be able to spot the footage if they know to look for it (something to keep your eyes out for in S3)

The Boys: Starr is a ham and we love him for it

If there was one member of The Seven who is probably the furthest from his character, it’s Antony Starr, who plays homicidal anti-Superman Homelander on The Boys.

The hilarious, likable actor was extremely animated during the panel, starting out  with a raucous “How f***ing good is it to be back doing this sh**?!” Starr was all charm and gave a very enthusiastic reenactment of the sex scene between him and Aya Rachel Cash (Stormfront) when they were suspended by harnesses.

Much like the show, there was so much to love about this outrageous, personable, fun cast and their antics. It was a genuine pleasure to watch them reminisce about the previous seasons. You can read more of the highlights here.

The third season of The Boys, based on the Garth Ennis comic book series, just wrapped up last month and is set to come out sometime 2022 (no spec date yet). I’m especially looking forward how Jensen Ackles (Supernatural) affects the rest of The Seven, as superhero Soldier Boy, a new addition to S3.