The Boys' Forgotten Short Film Gave Karl Urban's Butcher The Spotlight

This post contains spoilers for "The Boys."

Season 1 of "The Boys" ends with a bombshell reveal. After Homelander (Antony Starr) kills ex-Vought VP Madelyn Stillwell (Elisabeth Shue), he tells Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) that his presumed dead wife, Becca (Shantel VanSanten), is still alive. This is also the first time we learn about the existence of Homelander's son Ryan (Cameron Crovetti), who goes on to become an unwitting tether for Butcher's sense of morality. While Season 2 opens with Butcher hiding from authorities after being framed for Stillwell's murder, we aren't privy to the events that took place right after Butcher saw Becca and Ryan with his own eyes. The answer to this is Liz Friedlander's "Butcher: A Short Film," which takes place between the first and second seasons of the Prime Video show.

This five-minute short opens with Butcher waking up in front of a store, presumably dropped off by Homelander after their visit to the hideout where Becca and Ryan reside. Now a wanted fugitive, Butcher evades public scrutiny by visiting Jock (David S. Lee), an old friend from his military past. Jock and Butcher fondly reminisce about their time together, and the latter asks for Jock's help to pinpoint Becca's location. Soon after, Butcher overhears Jock speaking to the authorities, which triggers a brutal physical fight ending in Jock's demise. Bitter and heartbroken, Butcher lights Jock's body on fire and drives off as the police arrive at the scene.

Back in 2020, showrunner Eric Kripke told Entertainment Weekly that this segment was originally shot for "The Boys" Season 2's second episode, but it was ultimately cut because it "made Butcher's story a lot less mysterious and intriguing." So, how does "Butcher: A Short Film" fare in hindsight?

"The Boys" Season 1 introduces Butcher as an agent of chaos. He's the one who brings the titular group together and is unafraid to indulge in reckless violence for a just cause. At this juncture, though, he's yet to undergo the drastic changes he eventually does. Indeed, his guilt concerning Becca compounds over time, leading to his extremist behavior in later seasons. Still, there are layers to Butcher. He's the product of relentless childhood trauma, survivor's guilt, and impulsive coping mechanisms. His military years only fueled this cynical mindset, and Jock's unexpected betrayal explains why Butcher is so quick to abandon traditional honor and morality.

This is further complicated by the superpowers he gains along the way. "The Boys" Season 4 shows Butcher at his lowest after he gives in to his darkest impulses. Thankfully, however, he becomes more measured in the series' fifth and final season, as the world of "The Boys" reaches a point of no return. As unpredictable as ever, Butcher is more receptive to the people he cares about in Season 5, given how bleak the situation is. Defeating Homelander is now a do-or-die matter for the Boys, which adds to the anxiety of the fleeting moments they spend with one another.

In "Butcher: A Short Film," Jock justifies his betrayal by saying that Butcher has always been a stone-cold killer. And while this is true in certain contexts, Butcher flits between being an anti-hero and an antagonist because he is broken beyond repair. Still, as much as "Butcher: A Short Film" sows the seeds for Butcher's innate darkness, one can hope that he will do what's necessary (and right) in the "Boys" series finale.

"The Boys" is streaming on Prime Video.