With Gen V coming to an end around just under a month ago, it had all of us gagging for what to expect when The Boys Season 4 Trailer was set to arrive. And it’s safe to say that it didn’t disappoint.
There were so many things to take away from the new trailer, but I thought rather than doing a full breakdown, I’d delve into one of the main things that stood out to me and left me questioning what I just watched. The question all of us might have is, “How Is Black Noir Still Alive In The Boys Season 4?”
Black Noir, the guy who was killed by Homelander at the end of The Boys Season 3, was standing there alive and well in the Season 4 trailer of The Boys, so I thought I’d explain exactly how that could be possible and what to expect upon his return.
How Is Black Noir Still Alive In The Boys Season 4?
Towards the end of Season 3 of The Boys, we saw that Black Noir Homelander’s most trustworthy friend and companion was killed at the hands of Homelander after finding out that Soldier Boy was his father. Black Noir ran their whole friendship without telling Homelander that he had a father who was there.
This left us witnessing him quite literally dying in front of our eyes on the screen, dropping to the floor, and finally finding peace as he joined his imaginary friends on the cusp of death. This begs the question as to how Black Noir was able to be present in the brand new season 4 trailer on not one but a number of different occasions.
Sam Is Black Noir
The first theory that I’m going to start off with is one that I think is the least likely to be true, but there could definitely be a possibility. This would tie season four of The Boys into the finale of Gen V. We know that The Boys Season 4 pretty much takes place directly after the timeline of where we left off the characters in Gen V.
Then, with Homelander smiling at the end of the Gen V finale and it being the last thing that we saw, he was smiling over the fact that Kate and Sam were considered to be the heroes after making it out like they prevented Marie, Jordan, Andre, and Emma from destroying the university, in reality, that wasn’t the case at all. This showed us that Homelander had young heroes who were under his wing and believed in Supe supremacy.
After the Gen V finale, there were lots of comparisons that were being drawn between Black Noir and Sam, and it was mentioned that he could potentially take over the reign of Black Noir and the Seven following everything that happened to the character.
Sam would be the perfect character for that as he exhibits some similarities to the powers that Black Noir had. Sam was said to be one of the most powerful Supes when compared to everybody at the university. So, one would imagine that he could slot right into the role if Vought or Homelander wanted him to.
There are also similarities in the sense that Black Noir used to see the animated imaginary friends, and Sam sees puppets due to his mental condition. So that’s something that could well be the case.
Black Noir Is A Homelander Clone
Another theory about how Black Noir could return is that we could finally see Homelander’s clone storyline being put to work in the show. We know what Black Noir looked like in the flashback under the mask from the time that he was fighting alongside Soldier Boy. So, we know for a fact that this iteration of Black Noir wasn’t Homelander’s clone.
However, in the comic, Black Noir is a clown that was created by Vought to keep an eye on Homelander and ensure that he doesn’t do anything outrageous.
So, realistically, now would probably be a good time in the story to bring in a clone of Homelander, as he’s quite literally spiraling out of control and trying to be the face of implementing Supe supremacy whilst also slaughtering people as he pleases.
It’s something that also looks like it’s going to be happening in the new season, judging by that trailer. So, with Vought finding out what happens to Black Noir, they may look to do that and get a replacement there.
Within the comic Black Noir, which was Homelander’s clone, the actual Homelander became relatively good friends. And it spurred on Black Noir, disguised as Homelander, to do awful things to get Vought to order him to take out Homelander. This is something that I would be interested in seeing unfold as it would weigh an extra level of depth to the story.
The only thing that makes me question if the show would be able to do this is that we know that Homelander has the ability to see through Black Noir’s mask. In the season three episode where Homelander killed him, he stated that he could quite literally see his face, his battle scars, and all of the emotion that he emits, something which nobody else was able to do.
So if they were to create some kind of clone of Homelander, he’d know immediately unless they had some way of disguising it from him. Maybe they’ll make a clone in terms of trying to replicate Homelander’s powers, strength, and mindset, but they’ll keep him looking like how he was before.
There are some rumors that the original actor who played him is coming back and reprising the role. So that could be one way that he returns. And to be honest, that’s something that I’d actually be down to watch.
The Original Black Noir Comes Back To Life
The final theory that’s been put out is something that has been mentioned by The Boys’ showrunner. This is because the original actor, Nathan Mitchell, is most likely going to be returning as a second carnation of Black Noir.
Nathan Mitchell actually played Black Noir in the present day, not the version in the flashback. So this is something that actually allows the same actor to return as the exact same character. As we never got to see the present-day Black Noir underneath the mask.
Vought didn’t properly announce to the public that Black Noir was dead like they did with Queen Maeve when her death was made public knowledge, which was accompanied by the small video tributes on the news.
So it does make me wonder if Vought is going to be behind just reinstating a Black Noir without ever announcing that anything had happened. He was left to die inside the Vought facilities, so he would have most definitely been found by somebody who worked there. Hence, maybe the process of cloning and replacing would have begun.
This is something that could tie into the clone arm of the story, especially if they make a clone of Homelander that is more focused on powers rather than appearance. Or even if they just cloned the former Black Noir if the technological advancements are available.
If that were to happen, it would most definitely mess with Homelander’s head. The last he saw of Black Noir, he ripped out his insides and made him no more. But then, the next time Homelander would go to Vought, he would have most likely seen another Black Noir standing there that resembled the former one, even once looking beneath the mask.
Homelander Will Go Crazy
Homelander’s mind is fragile, and multiple cracks are present within his mind, so the fact that his former good friend would have been raised from the dead in his eyes may cause his mental fragility to grow stronger.
With Homelander gaining more and more power and a large portion of the public siding with him, whilst he’s also leaning away from Vought and their views and beliefs, having Homelander’s mind growing weaker whilst being a positive for Vought, it could be something that causes more devastation and chaos as the paranoia will kick in. So bringing back somebody who he cared about but ultimately killed could cause more damage.
So, realistically, Black Noir could return to season four of The Boys in multiple ways. Personally, I like the idea of him being cloned or on par with Homelander or exhibiting some of his powers, and it just messes with Homelander’s head.
I’m living for Homelander’s demise, and the power struggles that he has. So, seeing his friend being raised from the dead is just going to mess with him even more. I’m sure when a second trailer gets released, there might be some more hints and clues as to how it will happen, but for now, it’s just you, me, and a bunch of theories.
