The Amazon Prime Video series The Boys has kept fans guessing about the silent, deadly superhero Black Noir since the show started in 2019. For three full seasons, the character never spoke a single word or showed his face. Many viewers assumed a stunt performer was inside the black suit. But the truth is that Canadian actor Nathan Mitchell has been the man under the mask the entire time, and the show’s fourth season finally let him take it off.
Mitchell’s journey with Black Noir took a wild turn in Season 4. After the original Black Noir died at the hands of Homelander (Antony Starr) in the Season 3 finale, the Vought corporation hired an actor to play a new version of Black Noir for the Seven. The funny part is that Nathan Mitchell plays this new actor too, making him one of the few cast members to play two completely different versions of the same superhero name.
Who Is Nathan Mitchell? Get to Know the Man Under the Suit
Nathan Mitchell was born on December 6, 1988, in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. He is currently 36 years old. Before he became famous for playing Black Noir, Mitchell had a different dream. He studied visual arts in high school at the Cawthra Park Secondary School arts program. But he quickly realized he liked performing more than painting. He switched to drama and later earned a BA from Ryerson University in Toronto.
Mitchell is also a trained martial artist. He holds a black belt in Taekwondo and even won the ITF Junior Canadian Championship when he was younger. His fighting skills became very useful for playing a silent assassin who does most of his acting through physical movement.
His career started back in 2007 with small TV roles. Over the years, he appeared in popular shows like Arrow, Supernatural, iZombie, Timeless, and The Tomorrow People. He also had a part in the movie The Marine 5: Battleground. Fans of Netflix might also know him as Zion Miller, the father of Ginny, in the series Ginny & Georgia.
How Nathan Mitchell Got the Black Noir Role
Getting the part of Black Noir was not a straight path for Nathan Mitchell. He originally auditioned for a different character in the Seven. He tried out for the role of the Deep. That audition did not work out, and Mitchell felt disappointed. He went on vacation with his family, thinking his chance to join The Boys was gone.
Then, out of nowhere, his manager sent him an audition for Black Noir. Since the character has no lines, the casting team asked him to perform scenes from other characters to show his physical acting skills. He recorded the tape after returning from vacation. A few days after New Year’s Day in 2019, he got the call that he had won the role.
“Directly before I was playing Risk a few days before with my friends. And I was thinking it would be so cool if Seth Rogen called to tell me I got this part. That didn’t happen. But a couple days later, I found out that I got the role.” – Nathan Mitchell
Playing Two Different Black Noirs in Seasons 3 and 4
The story of Black Noir is not simple. The first Black Noir was a ruthless, skilled killer who had his face disfigured by Soldier Boy years ago. That version lost the ability to speak and had the mental state of a child. Nathan Mitchell played this version for three seasons using only his body movements to show emotion.
That version died in Season 3. Homelander killed him for keeping secrets about Soldier Boy being his father. But Vought could not let the public know their hero was dead. So, in Season 4, they hired a talkative, nervous actor to put on the Black Noir suit and pretend to be the same hero.
Nathan Mitchell says playing the first Black Noir was harder because actors usually rely on their voice and face to perform.
“The first version is more challenging. Because as an actor, you don’t train in your career to prepare to do a role where you don’t speak or use facial expressions. Because those are two of our primary tools.” – Nathan Mitchell
For the new version, he changed everything. The new Black Noir talks too much, does not like violence, and acts scared when people shoot at him. Mitchell made a clear choice to play the two characters as opposites.
The Real-Life Allergy That Became a Major Plot Point
One interesting detail about Nathan Mitchell is that he has a severe tree nut allergy in real life. The writers of The Boys decided to put this real fact into the show. In Season 2, Black Noir has an allergic reaction after eating a nut-filled snack. This moment became a funny and memorable scene for fans. It also showed how the show likes to mix real actor details with the story.
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What Nathan Mitchell Has Said About Playing Black Noir
In interviews about Season 4, Mitchell opened up about the strange experience of finally getting to show his face. For years, he worked in a full mask that covered everything. No one on set could see his expressions. When the script called for the new Black Noir to take off the mask, it was a big moment for him as an actor.
He told The Hollywood Reporter that the new Black Noir is still learning how to be a villain. He is not good at killing yet. He is not cool or collected. He is nervous and uncomfortable with violence. As the season goes on, he starts to embrace the violent side of the character more, but he is still not as dangerous as the original Black Noir.
The actor also shared that his favorite scenes to film were the ones where he could show the contrast between the scary suit and the vulnerable person inside.
The Boys Season 4 premiered on June 13, 2024, with its first three episodes. The season has received strong ratings and continues to be one of Prime Video biggest hits. The show is coming back for a fifth and final season, and Nathan Mitchell is expected to return as the new Black Noir.
Also Read: The Boys Season 4 Finale Explained: Why Homelander Now Rules America and Our Heroes Are on the Run
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