4 things The Boys has done better than the MCU

For as successful as the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been over the years, we all know it isn't anywhere near perfect. It has weaknesses across its multiple projects that have made fans unhappy in the past. But in those areas where Marvel fails, The Boys over-delivers.

The Prime Video streaming TV series took the world by storm when it premiered back in 2019, and it has shown no signs of loosening the grip it has had on viewers. With season 4 recently coming to an end, we look towards the fifth and final chapter in the franchise. But before we watch that epic conclusion, it's time to look at four of the things The Boys has done better than the MCU so far.

1. More realistic effects

Let's clarify something right out of the box; The Boys has rarely attempted to do sequences as flashy, big, or explosive as those of the MCU. Besides, the Prime Video series is less stacked in the action department than most Marvel projects. As a result, fewer VFX shots are needed to bring its story to life, which undeniably results in a better visual quality. But with that being said... it's mind-blowing how lackluster some recent MCU movies look in comparison.

To be fair, most Marvel projects looked absolutely fine during Phases 1 through 3. However, ever since Phase 4 began fans have noticed a dip in quality in all aspects; VFX shots included. So props to The Boys for featuring more realistic effects even on a lower budget. For comparison, every episode of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law costs 25 million dollars to make, while season 3 of The Boys sees that number reduced to just 11.2 million dollars. It may be less than half, but the results are twice as good.

So how does the Prime Video series manage to look so realistic? Well, most of that comes from creating as many physical sets as possible while also choreographing real action stunts. That's something that Marvel hasn't done in a while. Instead, they opt to have multiple VFX shots so that a project's direction can change during post-production (which isn't ideal). Granted, some scenes in The Boys aren't that polished, while a lot of VFX shots in MCU movies are so good you'll rarely notice them. But even then, it's impossible to shake the feeling that the former is superior when it comes to top-notch special effects.

2. Creating superior villains

For as many strengths as the MCU has, we all know its villains aren't one of them. Sure, Thanos and the Kingpin are some of the few exceptions, but more often than not we all feel indifferent towards Marvel antagonists. We don't either love them or hate them. It's fairly evident their only purpose is to make the hero shine, and that's it. Most of the time, they even die in their debut movie so we don't get to see them again.

The Boys, however, is the complete opposite of the MCU in this regard. The Prime Video series is all about the villains. You could argue it wouldn't be as engaging to watch if there weren't such strong antagonists to root against. We all want Billy Butcher, Hughie, and the rest of the crew to succeed mostly so that we see the bad guys fail. Yeah, the series is that good at crafting evil characters.

The best part about the villains in The Boys is that they are (usually) three-dimensional characters. Take Homelander as an example. The series goes out of its way to make sure audiences understand why he's such a horrible person. Even the latest season lets us get glimpses into how he was tortured when he was just a child. However, when Homelander decides to be evil he's truly relentless. Besides, it also helps that the performances from the likes of Antony Starr are absolutely memorable. All of these aspects combined make for great antagonists that are far superior to those of the MCU.

3. Better at spinning off the source material

When it comes to adapting any comic book storyline to the big (or small) screen, writers usually spin certain elements off. After all, it would be pretty boring for audiences to watch a one-to-one adaptation with no additions, changes, or subtractions. If anyone wanted that, they could read the source material and know everything in advance.

But when it comes to taking these creative liberties, the MCU can be a bit of a mixed bag. Not to say their original ideas are bad by any means, but they're usually more controversial. A few perfect examples would be Spider-Man's suit being created by Tony Stark, Bruce Banner and Natasha Romanoff dating, and Ultron being a less serious version than his comic book counterpart. However, the same cannot be said for The Boys.

It's pretty much universally agreed that the Prime Video series is even better than its source material. Fans praise every change made for the live-action adaptation as it takes the story to a whole new level. Granted, season 4 has been a little bit polarizing at times. But audiences have fewer critiques of The Boys than many MCU projects (especially the recent ones) without a doubt.

4. Less formulaic

We've all heard about the "Marvel Formula". It refers to the general structure that most (but not all) MCU projects follow. You know, the typical tale of a hero fighting against an antagonist (who's pretty much the evil version of himself) only to save the day near the end. That's an oversimplification of the concept, but you get the idea.

However, beyond playing it safe with its narratives, it's safe to say the MCU doesn't take a lot of creative risks either. Little moments scattered throughout multiple projects do stand out, like when Thor: Love & Thunder opted for a black-and-white palette of colors or when WandaVision paid homage to many sitcoms over the years. But it's hard to deny those moments are very scarce.

On the contrary, you never know what type of narrative and style you'll get with each episode of The Boys. Maybe the series blends animation with live-action to tell the story of Black Noir. Perhaps Ryan guest stars in a puppet show called Avenue V. Or it could be that the "good guys" kidnap a hero who turns himself invisible only to (mistakenly) kill him later. Possibilities could be (and have been) endless with the Prime Video series, which makes it very exciting.