Stranger Things Vet Paul Reiser Responds To Fan Reactions From His Debut On The Boys Season 3

paul reiser in the boys
(Image credit: Amazon Prime)

Spoilers ahead for Season 3, Episode 5 of The Boys, “The Last Time To Look On This World Of Lies.”

Season 3 of Amazon Prime’s hilariously raunchy superhero series The Boys has introduced multiple new faces (mostly Supes) that fans are surely enjoying during this new stretch of installments. In Episode 5, the series brought in Vought’s former head of hero management known as The Legend. Portrayed by Paul Reiser, the character is a fan-favorite from the comics and somewhat of a parody of late comics legend Stan Lee. The Stranger Things vet actually knew very little of the gory series at the onset and, now, he's opening up about the fan reactions to his debut and the series in general.

Paul Reiser, who portrays Dr. Sam Owens on Stranger Things, talked about all things The Boys with Variety. The beloved actor apparently had no clue that a show like Eric Kripke's adaptation even existed. While he had upbeat thoughts on the positive reactions to his performance, he admitted that the series' content just isn't really his “scene":

I knew precious little about the show. I had not seen the show. I don’t think I’d heard of the show. It’s so funny to me that it’s getting this lovely response, people so enjoying the character and loving this season. I have friends who are passionate about this show, they just can’t stop watching it. But it’s so funny to me because that’s so not my world. In a million years, if you put a gun to my head, I couldn’t create something like this. But the fun part is to get invited and jump in.

It must be interesting for an actor to join a project and dive into a universe that they're totally unfamiliar with. Such a thing has to be even wilder when you're jumping into a show as wild as The Boys. Though it’s a whole new world for Paul Reiser, he's already proving himself to be a pro within this twisted world of heroes and villains. His experience has probably also been bettered by the fact that the fans have been so welcoming.

Paul Reiser also went on to say that since he knew basically nothing about one of Amazon Prime's greatest superhero shows, he decided to do a bit of research and was even able to look to his son, who is a fan of the series. He explained:

I thought, ‘Oh, this is something else. This is really wild. My 21-year-old son, who is really into the world and loves the show, I had to go to him like, ‘So they’re on purpose being this disgusting? OK, so that’s different.’ Because if you didn’t know, it would be violent and graphic and horrific. But then you go, ‘Okay, these guys really know what they’re doing.'

A show like The Boys definitely takes some getting used to, considering it delivers some pretty intense storylines. But at least Paul Reiser had some help getting acquainted with the fictional universe and the high level of raunchiness that comes with it. The evil creatures and alternate dimensions in Stranger Things are wild enough, but they certainly don't compare to what's been shown on the comic book adaptation.

Honestly, considering that it's one of the best original Amazon Prime shows, I'm surprised that The Boys wasn't something Paul Reiser had heard of. Then again, it wasn't exactly in his wheelhouse, and there's a lot of quality content out there as is.

This week, fans are preparing themselves for the latest episode, which will feature the long-awaited (and somewhat feared) adaptation of the “Herogasm” story. The infamous tale, which comes directly from the comics, will see the Supes heading to an island for a week-long orgy. Obviously, chaos will ensue, but if it means seeing some characters hilariously in the nude, it may or may not be worth it. And I don't know about you, but I'm curious to hear Paul Reiser's thoughts after it airs.

The Boys Season 3 is now streaming on Amazon Prime, with new episodes dropping every Thursday!

Megan Behnke
Freelance TV News Writer

Passionate writer. Obsessed with anything and everything entertainment, specifically movies and television. Can get easily attached to fictional characters.