In the opening episodes of season 4 of The Boys, Butcher is presumed to be dying as a result of his heavy use of the Temp Compound V from season 3. Even Homelander sees what his body is going through minutes into the season premiere.

But fans of the show believe that something more may be going on with Butcher and the effects of the Temp V.

Many people have noticed what they call a “worm” underneath Butcher’s skin. And they’ve got some guesses as to what could be going on. Let’s go over a few.

The illness could just be getting worse: Nothing profound here. The Temp V could just be killing Butcher and causing his body to malfunction.

Butcher’s body could be fighting the infection: Let’s be real. The Boys at it’s heart and soul is about Butcher vs. Homelander. Killing a star like Karl Urban would also be a tough sell to both fans of his character and those who study bringing eyeballs to a TV show. Butcher’s body could be trying to fight the effects of the Temp V.

It could be turning Butcher into Venom: This is where the worm under the skin comes into play. Fans are looking at the symbiote from Marvel and coming to their own conclusions.

The V could be gestating to be permanent: Butcher and Homelander need their final showdown. It’s hard to believe that we’d get a fair fight if Butcher didn’t get some help. Think “Limitless” and NZT with this theory.

We’re in uncharted territory here. We don’t know what “The Boys” will do. We know we’re getting another season and they could drag this illness another couple of years if they want.

But now, we’ve got some ideas to kick around in the meanwhile.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments.

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