No, Mother's Milk Was Not Recast in 'The Boys' — Here's Why Fans Thought Laz Alonso Left the Series

'The Boys' actor Alonso has portrayed Mother’s Milk in the streaming series since season 1

Mother’s Milk (MM) may look a little different in season 4 of The Boys, but actor Laz Alonso still plays the operations coordinator turned leader of The Boys.

In the original comics The Boys is based on, MM is best known for his large stature and distinctive beard — which is how Alonso, 50, portrayed the character over the last three seasons.

As the first four episodes of season 4 began streaming this month, fans noticed MM’s significant appearance change between seasons. Alonso says this is due to a little weight loss and a lot of reverence for the series' source material.

Related: The Boys Cast: A Guide to All the Actors from Season 1 to Season 4

In season 4, episode 1, the show explained that MM’s new appearance is due to the stress and pressure of his new role as leader of The Boys and his work with the CIA. "[Kimiko] says you work too hard, you need to eat more," Frenchie (Tomer Capone) says to MM.

Alonso, himself, first addressed his real-life weight loss in a Instagram comment back in September 2023 and said he “had to trim it down fam, Got carried away; too much pizza 🍕 😂.”

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On June 20, Alonso also explained why MM doesn't have a beard this season. Sharing photos from the comic, as well as an old picture of himself bearded, Alonso wrote on Instagram, "To the beard lovers, MM didn’t always have a beard, as you see here in the source material. He was a Marine, clean shaven."

"Now that he reports to the head of the CIA and the White House as leader of The Boys, he’s dressing the part, hence him wearing a suit for the first time in 4 seasons," the actor wrote. "Season 3 episode 1 I brought back the mini fro he has in the comics as well (slide 2). Every season I add an homage to the source material and weave it into the story. As an actor it is our job as storytellers to use everything we have to tell a story. Including facial hair."

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Along with Alonzo, The Boys season 4 also stars Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Jesse T. Usher and Erin Moriarty.

The Boys season 4 is now streaming on Prime Video, with new episodes airing Thursday until the season finale on July 18.

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