New York Comic Con: "The Boys" Cast & Crew Promote New Amazon Series

"The Boys" is an exciting new television series set to premiere on Amazon Prime in 2019. Based on the comic series of the same name by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, the show boasts a cast full of quality talents including Karl Urban ("Star Trek"), Simon Pegg ("Shaun of the Dead"), Antony Starr ("Banshee"), and Karen Fukuhara ("Suicide Squad"). Series leads and producers visited New York Comic Con to offer up a first look at this subversive addition to the superhero genre.

With an upspike in superhero content in both films and television series, the task becomes all the more necessary to set oneself apart when creating and adapting new properties in the genre to bring something new and fresh to both casual viewers and fans alike. The premise is interesting and highly relevant to today's world, as the superheroes in the story are not upstanding beacons of morality. Instead, they embrace the unethical privileges take come with fame and celebrity. The group known as "the boys" are a group of vigilantes that work together to take down these corrupt superheroes. These 'boys' come from a more blue collar background and offer a dynamic contrast to the privileged elites.

Karen Fukuhara was the first thing that drew me to the project, as it's rare to find other Japanese women finding success in Hollywood without having to portray stereotypes. It was at first disheartening to find out her character was known as "The Female" and that she doesn't speak in the role. At first glance it's hardly an advancement for us as a whole. But upon being asked about these matters, she is more than happy to clarify that her character will have more depth than the original source material would've allowed.

"What drew me to the character was that, when I spoke with Eric on the phone before we started filming, I found out that we were going to stray away from the Female's back story that was in the original comics and create a new one. That had a lot to do with how she joins the Boys and the direction the Boys go in during season one. I think she's an essential part of the Boys, which drew me to the character, and, exciting news, she gets a name. I am named!" shares Fukuhara.

Producers elaborate that this development of her character was very important in bringing her to the screen. An additional surprise revelation at the show's panel is that the character of Hughie, who was artistically rendered in the comics to resemble Simon Pegg, will have a father in the show portrayed by Pegg himself. The audience erupts into cheers when Pegg is called to the stage as a surprise addition to the panel. Actor Jack Quaid will be portraying Hughie and the banter between him and Pegg bodes well for the chemistry to be portrayed in the show itself.

"I've never been more insecure in my life that I wasn't Simon Pegg," says Quaid. "Especially since Simon Pegg is my literal hero, genuinely. I've got a British dad now. He is literally in my phone as 'British dad', I'm not joking."

Pegg also shares about the journey from getting the call that he was 'in' the comics through character design to now being in the show. "I'm thrilled and I always anticipated this moment would happen. When it was announced, I knew I wasn't gonna play Hughie. I knew it would go to a brilliant young actor. I didn't realise quite how brilliant, I'm so proud of my son!"

"Best moment of my young life," Quaid chimes in.

"It was a very weird thing," says Pegg. "I think Darick Robertson who drew the comic book was a bit of a fan of obscure British comedy. Back in 2004 when he was drawing it, he'd seen 'Space' which was a show I'd done in the UK. It was a little sitcom in the UK in the late 90's and I think Darick saw me in that and thought, 'Oh he'll never amount to anything, I'll draw him.' Then suddenly around the time 'Shaun of the Dead' came out I heard from Darick and I found out that my face was being used in this comic book and I was extremely flattered and thrilled and I was very much in favour of it. DC, who published it at the time wrote me a frightened letter just saying 'Please don't sue us!' I said, well of course I'm not gonna do that. I'm absolutely flattered beyond belief. So I spent that time as Hughie and it was always going to become something visual cause it's such an amazing story. It really lends itself to an adaptation. I'm so happy that when this happened and then I got a call about maybe being in the show. We discussed how and it seems so perfect to be Jack's father.

Karl Urban responds with some banter of his own. "That's a great answer but the real reason that Simon is in 'The Boys' is because we have a competition between us about who can be in the most franchises. He kind of edged ahead after being in Star Wars after we were together in Star Trek. I'm like, 'Hey I'm gonna be in The Boys' and he was like, 'Me too!'"

"What are you gonna do? We're a couple of franchise-whores!" jokes Pegg.

Watch the New York Comic Con panel for "The Boys" here: