Over its five seasons, the superhero satire The Boys (Prime Video) has taken on a profound significance by mirroring reality more closely than its creator Eric Kripke might have imagined at the outset. Helping the show–based on the comic book of the same title by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson–reach this higher plateau has been the “hire” ground laid by Kripke in assembling a cast and crew that has been up to the task of turning irreverence into an even greater relevance than what had been originally envisioned.
For example, look no further than Kripke’s first hire for The Boys, superhero/supersuit designer Laura Jean Shannon who at the time was twice nominated for a Costume Designers Guild Award–one for a Smirnoff commercial, the other for the groundbreaking Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbuster feature, Iron Man. (She has since picked up a third Costume Designers Guild Award nod for Murderbot.) Shannon got the initial opportunity to take on The Boys based on some behind-the-scenes creative work she had done awhile back for Kripke, and her experience on another project, the pilot for Preacher, which sprung from a graphic novel by Ennis.
Being in on the ground floor of The Boys, Shannon became a co-architect with Kripke of the superhero characters. She’s been on board for the entire run of the show–from the pilot in 2019 right through to the fifth and final season this year. The Boys embarked on a journey to show us what happens when superheroes–revered, influential and carrying celeb status–abuse their superpowers under the guise of doing good. Looking to stop these corrupt superheroes were The Boys, vigilante types who seek to expose the truth about not only the popular so-called “heroes” but also Vought, the huge conglomerate that manages the superheroes and covers up their dirty dealings. The series pitted the seemingly powerless against the super powerful.
There’s an inherent comedy to the proceedings but Shannon pointed out to SHOOT several years ago that cast and crew were not overtly going for the joke. Rather every aspect of the story is grounded, with the humor growing out of that reality.
Over time the satire has come to increasingly parallel our stark reality as Homelander (portrayed by Antony Starr), the arch enemy of The Boys, takes control of the U.S. in season 5. We see the impact of authoritarian might, claims of being motivated by divine guidance, leaders building monuments to themselves, and the consequences of unchecked power. Daveed Diggs joined the cast for season 5 as Oh Father, the head of a church that evangelizes Homelander as God.
While satire becomes a form of social commentary, The Boys carries a much-needed dynamic in that it allows its viewers to experience not just the madness of what’s happening but also the ridiculousness of it. And costumes play an integral role in supporting this narrative that is both substantive and enhanced by silliness–which gets us back to the “hire” power theme.
Just as Shannon’s hiring was key, so too has been her hire of costume designer Michael Ground starting with season 3 when she took on the added role of associate producer. (She went from supersuit designer to specialty designer in season 2.) Shannon recalled that her friend Joyce Schure, costume designer on season 1 of The Boys, suggested Ground. Schure and Shannon had earlier worked together on Titans.
Shannon felt an immediate rapport with Ground, referring to him as “my brother from another mother.” And their immediate connection proved invaluable when they began their collaborative relationship during the COVID pandemic. Not being in close physical proximity, the two “right out of the gate had to trust each other,” said Ground. There was a defined division of labor with Shannon designing costumes for the marquee superheroes who were in the show for the long haul whereas Ground designed for assorted others, a far greater volume of characters than those outfitted by Shannon.
Shannon observed that Ground’s work informed the narrative arc of characters “more so than my work as a supersuit designer.” Shannon’s superheroes had already been branded to a great extent as commodities by Vought.
Shannon and Ground developed a kinship as they teamed on world building for The Boys from seasons 3 through 5. Shannon affirmed that while she and Ground “have our own kind of lanes [in costume design], we also share the highway. We’re there for each other.”
Ground added, “Sometimes we’d talk six times a day” while there were also extended stretches of silence. The latter, Ground quipped, prompted him to reach out on occasion and ask her, “Are you alive?” Yet while they are often engrossed in their own work and maintain their own teams, Ground noted that he and Shannon always “support each other,” crossing over at opportune times to continue “an ebb and flow” of ideas and feedback. That world-building dialogue encompasses not only the conjuring up of cinematic level costumes within a TV sphere but also designing whatever it takes to support the cast of characters and advance the story–always being creatively responsive to help realize Kripke’s intent.
Support for the actors has also come in the form of advances in costume design, pointed out Shannon and Ground. For example, Shannon noted that in season one, Homelander’s costume had foam muscles that were heavy. Over time, that evolved through the use of lightweight, hand-carved super porous foam. Additionally a four-way stretch gaberdine became available that makes costumes infinitely more comfortable, further freeing the actors to perform.
In the big picture, there’s also a high level of comfort, camaraderie and a sense of purpose which energized the entire cast and crew, even with the most daunting challenges at hand. Ground shared, “I never walked away from the finale of a show with so many friends whom I call ‘family.’ There’s so much love and caring from the cast, the producers, the crew on the floor, It’s pretty magical.”
Shannon said that this esprit de corps starts at the top with Kripke, who’s assembled an ensemble of intelligent actors with “crazy insights” into their characters, “mad-genius” directors and a crew of caring, dedicated artists. Shannon recalled that Kripke said to everyone at the start of the very first episode, “This was the project I want on my tombstone.”
While watching The Boys come to a close was difficult for cast and crew, the blow was lessened by the fact that a good many of the collaborators will remain together with a couple of spinoffs on the horizon. Shannon, Ground and other family members are continuing to team on Vought Rising which traces the origin of the titular corporation’s superheroes program, exploring the genesis of what Shannon describes as those “love-to-hate-them characters.” Vought Rising is due out in 2027.
This is the seventh installment of SHOOT’s weekly 15-part The Road To Emmy Series of feature stories, connecting with directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, production designers, VFX talent and assorted other artisans to gain insights into their work and their collaborators. Emmy nominations will be announced and covered on July 8. Coverage of the Creative Arts Emmy winners will appear on September 5 and 6, and we will report on winners at the primetime Emmy Awards ceremony on September 14.
