The Boys may have just teased Butcher & Queen Maeve’s baby with one crude line

Queen Maeve isn’t involved in the chaos in The Boys Season 4 – but one exchange between Butcher and Joe Kessler may not just be a crude throwaway line.

Season 3 ended with Maeve sacrificing herself, tackling Soldier Boy out of Vought Tower before his radioactive blast could kill Butcher, Hughie, and the rest of The Boys (not to mention Homelander).

As far as the world is aware, she’s dead (Ashley even deleted the footage of Mother’s Milk finding her body). But we know the truth: she’s living peacefully with her girlfriend Elena.

Whether or not she’ll ever return to the show remains to be seen, but one seemingly meaningless line in Season 4 Episode 7 could actually hint at a big development.

Early in the episode, Butcher is tormented by Joe Kessler (who we now know to be a manifestation of his darker side). As well as revealing that Butcher cheated on Becca years ago, he asks where his “soft spot for supes” started.

“Was it when you shot your load and creampied Maeve?” he asks.

What if Maeve has been pregnant (and perhaps even had the baby) off-screen after her hookup with Butcher? Their sex scene was criticized at the time, with some feeling it was a bit pointless – this would give it purpose.

In 2022, Eric Kripke confirmed that “the series will definitely not end without seeing Maeve again.” Could this be the main reason for her return?

In the comics, Maeve had a child with the Legend: Blarney Cock, a member of Teenage Kix. It’s unlikely we’d see the show take this route, but here’s the point: her pregnancy wouldn’t be unprecedented.

After the latest episode, find out everything we know about Shape Shifter and Homelander’s January 6 plan. You can also read our rundown of The Boys Season 4’s most shocking moments and check out other TV shows streaming this month.