The fourth and penultimate season of The Boys is underway on Amazon, and there’s a very conspicuous change to an established character.
Nathan Mitchell’s Black Noir — who wears a black ninja-esque suit of armor and possesses superhuman physical attributes, a healing factor, and incredible combat prowess — has been predominantly mute in the show since the opening season, relying on various gestures to communicate and imposing body language to intimidate.
The reason for his silence is revealed in season 3. During a 1984 mission with Payback — a superhero team active in the 1980s — the team performed a mutiny against their abusive member, Soldier Boy. Although it resulted in Soldier Boy’s capture, Black Noir was severely beaten by the rogue superhero, which left him horrifically scarred, badly brain damaged, and unable to speak.
In season 4, however, the character is talking. So how is that possible, and how does it relate to what happened to him in season 3?
Black Noir’s fate in season 3 of The Boys
In the penultimate episode of season 3 of The Boys, Homelander discovered that Soldier Boy was his biological father — something Black Noir had known for some time.
When the unhinged leader of The Seven asked Black Noir if he was aware of that information, Noir nodded, which made Homelander cry and feel betrayed by his teammate.
Angered by the betrayal, Homelander’s violent response was to punch Black Noir clean through the stomach and eviscerate him, brutally killing him. It left a bloody scene in which the dead Noir’s intestines could be seen gruesomely spilled on the floor.
That makes Black Noir’s return in season 4 confusing — especially given that he’s now talking — but the explanation is simple. Although season 4’s Black Noir has the same costume and is indeed played by a returning Nathan Mitchell, he’s a completely different character.
Going by the moniker Black Noir II, this iteration of the superhero is talkative but asked to maintain a silent persona in public by Vought, which frustrates him. He’s also narcoleptic, as demonstrated when he fell asleep in a meeting of The Seven.
Black Noir II’s future in The Seven and on the show is uncertain, but if he’s given the chance to develop as a character, it will be exciting to see him do so.