Stan Edgar, former Vought CEO, could return in The Boys Season 4 forming new alliances and potential revenge plans to take back his power.
The former CEO of Vought, Stan Edgar, is one of the most powerful non-supes figures in Amazon’s The Boys. Giancarlo Esposito, whose incredible career includes roles like Gus Fring in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, gives a powerful depth to Edgar’s character as a ruthless business executive at Vought International. He’s one of the few people Homelander actually seems afraid of, having delivered one of the best insults in the show when he called Homelander “a bad product.” As such, Giancarlo Esposito’s potential return as Stan Edgar would benefit The Boys season 4 in several ways.
Edgar has been one of the oldest executives working at Vought, knowing all the corporation’s dirty secrets (Compound V’s entire history, for instance). Though he does not have any superpowers, Edgar’s real influence is his deceptive tactics and behind-the-scenes plans. If there is a failsafe plan, should Homelander, or any superhero, become a threat to the organization, it is highly likely that Edgar would know about it. All of that could come into play in The Boys season 4.
Stan Edgar Is One Of The Boys’ Best Non-Supe Characters
The stark difference between Vought executives’ shaky attitudes towards Homelander and Stan Edgar’s commanding character shows how strong-willed he actually is. Edgar understands that power is not about physical capabilities and superpowers in The Boys’ world; power is about controlling. In one of the arguments between Edgar and The Seven, he made sure to remind them that Vought Corporation is not “a superhero company” but a pharmaceutical one. Stan Edgar wanted to remind the supes that they are merely some products of a big corporation that manages them among other services.
Edgar kept complete control over Compound V, the serum that turns humans into supes, thus having leverage over Vought and the supes for as long as the serum was not known to the public. His influence extended to adding Stormfront to The Seven, a move deemed a challenge to Homelander’s prowess and a reminder that even he could be replaced. Homelander sees that he cannot break Edgar’s will, so he has him fired by partnering with Victoria Neuman in The Boys season 3. While Stan Edgar is surprised by his daughter’s backstabbing, he appears to be dangerous and cunning enough to have other plans to regain his position.
Why The Boys Season 4 Must Bring Stan Edgar Back Into The Fold
Having Giancarlo Esposito continue his role as Stan Edgar in Season 4 of The Boys would be a no-brainer since he brings an incredible gravitas to the role of a powerful cold-blooded business executive. Edgar adds to the tension between the corporation’s agenda and the supes, which will only increase in season 4 given how things ended in season 4. Giancarlo Esposito teased his possible return in The Boys without giving confirmation about how or when.
Edgar’s role in The Boys is crucial when it comes to showing power dynamics and how the corporate exploitation of superheroes has no bounds. His character could be further examined as a lens that explores issues like the ethics of bioengineering, the nefarious influence of money and fame, and the sad true cost of unchecked power. With Esposito’s demonstrated ability to convey nuanced yet intense emotions, his presence would only enrich these explorations, making The Boys season 4 even more compelling and controversial than the ones before.
When Edgar asks Neuman for an explanation of why she betrayed him, her motivations are clear: “All these years you weren’t protecting me; I was protecting you. I have to look out for Zoe.” Her maternal instincts were mostly the reason why she flipped against him, and the look of shock and pain from Edgar confirms that he was not, in fact, just using her for political gain. Victoria Neuman seemed to benefit from Edgar’s ousting, having partnered with Homelander in hopes of pushing her political aspirations forward.
Gen V Could Open The Door For Stan Edgar To Return
Although he is no longer CEO of Vought, Stan Edgar continues to be a powerful, wealthy, and resourceful person. He could make an appearance at Godolkin University, the prestigious superhero-only college where students train to be the next generation of heroes and where the events of the upcoming The Boys spinoff Gen V take place. This would further connect The Boys to its first live-action spinoff.
Stan Edgar will need a powerful superhero on his side, whether it is Soldier Boy, any of the new heroes from the upcoming Gen V series, or the highly anticipated character Tek-Knight, who will possibly bring a lot of change in The Boys season 4. In the original comic books, Tek-Knight is the only superhero who uses his wealth to acquire superhuman abilities. With the announcement of Tek-Knight’s appearance in both Gen V and The Boys, and the conspiracies happening in the university as shown in the Gen V trailer, Edgar could have a hidden role in all of this, given his nature with corporate conspiracies and behind-the-scenes moves.
