Superhero show The Boys will end in its fifth season.
The showrunner Eric Kripke confirmed the news, ahead of the Prime Video show, named after the team of misfits trying to bring down people with superhuman abilities who use their powers in amoral ways, returning this month.
In an Instagram post, he wrote: “The Boys season four premiere week is a good time to announce: Season 5 will be the final season!
“Always my plan, I just had to be cagey till I got the final OK from Vought. Thrilled to bring the story to a gory, epic, moist climax. Watch season four in two days, cause the end has begun!”
In the satirical comedy drama, Vought International is the shadowy scientific and public relations company that manages the superheroes globally, often using them to sell products or do covert missions that endanger the lives of the public.
Kripke, who also created horror series Supernatural, shared his post along with a script, which looked like it is from the season four finale.
It is mostly redacted except the words and phrases, “We fade in one”, “night” and “blackout”.
The show stars New Zealand actor and Star Trek film series star Karl Urban as the foul-mouthed and rude leader of the vigilante team the Boys, Billy Butcher, and Oppenheimer actor Jack Quaid as the hopeful and compassionate Hughie Campbell, who at first is reluctant to be part of the operation.
Hughie later dates the superhero Starlight, real name Annie January (Erin Moriarty), as Billy tries to bring down the megalomaniacal and all-powerful John Gillman / Homelander (Antony Starr), who has similar powers to Superman and leads the incompetent and self-obsessed American protection group The Seven.
A trailer for season four teased more confrontation between Homelander and Billy.
The series also spawned a spin-off show called Gen V, which focuses on a group of students that have powers, and are also dealing with interference from Vought.
American-born actor Chance Perdomo, who grew up in the UK, had a main role as Andre Anderson, who has the ability to control metal through magnetism, and was set to return for a second season.
Perdomo died at the age of 27 earlier this year after a motorcycle accident, and producers previously said he will not be replaced in the next instalment.
Season four of The Boys begins on Thursday.