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The Boys season 4 will feature Jeffrey Dean Morgan as a recurring guest star in a mysterious role. Recognized for his legendary performances in shows like The Walking Dead and Supernatural, Morgan's casting announcement took the internet by storm. Specifics regarding his role had been kept under wraps, but a post via Vought HQ's Twitter has seemingly confirmed that he will be portraying a character for the show named Joe Kessler, aka Monkey.
Initially, fans speculated that Jeffrey Dean Morgan might play Tek Knight, an old-school Payback character from the original comics. Tek Knight is well-known for his obsession with "holes" and is a parody of popular superhero characters such as Iron Man and Batman. However, in episode 4 of the spin-off series Gen V, it was revealed that Derek Wilson, well known for his performances in Preacher, is portraying Tek Knight (and boy did he deliver).
Jeffrey Dean Morgan is playing Joe Kessler in The Boys season 4
In anticipation of his appearance in The Boys season 4, Jeffrey Dean Morgan has been the subject of conversation. He will now undoubtedly be a part of the cast for season 4, despite having missed season 3 owing to his obligations on The Walking Dead. He earlier hinted at his participation in the series with an NSFW image posted on social media, illustrating his suitability for the part and highlighting how well he fits The Boys' distinctive brand of humor.
Nathan Mitchell, who portrays Black Noir on the show, had earlier stated that Morgan would be stepping into some "bada*s" shoes. Morgan further dodged a Men's Health interview question about his casting but agreed with the interviewer that he could make The Boys season 4 and the show itself "filthier." Also, The Boys' social media staff created a sloppy Photoshop to throw everyone off.
But on September 9, 2023, via @voughthq on Twitter, it was seemingly confirmed that Jeffrey Dean Morgan is playing a character in The Boys season 4 called Joe Kessler. In the comics, Kessler, also known as Monkey (don't look up how he got his name), is a major informant for The Boys in their quest to uncover dishonest Supes, particularly those connected to Vought.
Kessler is also a well-known coward in the comics and has a particular fetish for ladies in wheelchairs, which Billy Butcher routinely takes advantage of. The account had earlier confirmed the casting of Derek Wilson as Tek Knight in January, much before the official announcement in September. The post later goes on to say:
"But in the show, he is rumored to only have scenes with Billy Butcher @karlurban."
Given the track record of The Boys in reinventing characters and storylines for their live-action adaptation, it's likely that Kessler's character in The Boys season 4 will be a more competent and potentially even more menacing version than what was portrayed in the comics.
This approach allows the show to take advantage of Jeffrey Dean Morgan's strengths and align the character with the unique tone and themes of the series. Since Monkey in the comics is a total pushover, frequently bullied by Butcher, these changes might give JDM as Kessler some depth as well, helping him portray the best version of the character.
To add to this news, the post also says that JDM as Joe Kessler will appear in The Boys season 4’s episode 1 "Department of Dirty Tricks", episode 3 "We'll Keep the Red Flag Flying Here", episode 5 "Beware of the Jabberwock, My Son", episode 6 "Dirty Business", episode 7 "The Insider," and episode 8 "Assassination Run." Morgan’s casting details specified that he is a “recurring guest star,” so it makes sense that he isn't in all episodes.
Fans are excited to see how Jeffrey Dean Morgan interprets this iconic, wacky character from the comics after learning that he has been cast as Joe Kessler. The shocks and plot twists that The Boys season 4 will bring are assured, considering the show's history of defying expectations. The official sources have yet to announce a release date for the upcoming season of The Boys.
The Boys spinoff Gen V is currently streaming on Prime Video.
