Reina Hardesty is the latest actor to exit The Boys college spinoff after Aimee Carrero and Shane Paul McGhie left the project last month. The currently untitled live-action series is loosely based on the G-men team (parody of Marvel’s X-men), who were mentioned in season one of The Boys. The show is set at America’s only college exclusively for young adult superheroes and is described as an "irreverent, R-rated show that explores the lives of hormonal, competitive Supes as they put their physical, sexual, and moral boundaries to the test, competing for the best contracts in the best cities."
Craig Rosenberg was initially attached to the project when it was first announced in 2020 but left over creative differences with the studio. Michele Fazekas & Tara Butters (Emergence, Agent Carter) stepped in as showrunners last September. Apparently, the pair have put "their own stamp on the show" and significantly changed most of the characters, which, combined with major delays, is what caused McGhie and Carrero's exit. It now appears Reina Hardesty is leaving for similar reasons. Deadline reports that her character was redeveloped and the role will be recast.
Reina Hardesty is best known for starring alongside Hank Azaria and Amanda Peet in the final season of IFC’s hit comedy series Brockmire. She’s also had recurring roles in The CW’s The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and Crackle’s StartUp. Hardesty was one of six leads when the series was greenlit back in 2020. Jaz Sinclair, Lizze Broadway, and Maddie Phillips still remain on the show. McGhie has been replaced by Chance Perdomo (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), and the others will be recast soon.
There is currently no word on the show's release status, but with already a year gone by since the announcement, Amazon is likely fast-tracking the show.
Amazon is Cashing in on Popularity of The Boys Franchise
The Boys has turned out to be a massive hit for Amazon. The R-rated superhero show debuted at a time when superhero fatigue was becoming a topic of discussion among fans. Edgy, violent, and hilarious, The Boys presented a different set of superheroes and their experiences in a world that feels eerily similar to our own.
With Marvel and other studios creating superhero content aimed at children and Netflix seemingly out of the picture after the failure of Jupiter’s Legacy, Amazon is finding success with mature superhero shows like The Boys and Invincible.
Amazon has greenlit several spinoffs of The Boys, the latest of which, The Boys Presents: Diabolical, premiered on Prime Video on March 4, 2022. The animated anthology series follows the side stories of many of The Boys' characters, including Homelander and Billy Butcher. Producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg recently revealed to Variety that the door is open for more stories set in the world of The Boys.
"We’re talking about spinoffs all the time. We’re working on numerous different ideas. Some will not happen, some will. But I think we got more franchising to do. We can grow. We can grow like Laser Baby."
Both The Boys Presents: Diabolical and its parent show have been critically acclaimed and equally appreciated by fans as well. The Boys season 3 will premiere on June 3, 2022.