The Boys creator admits season two left him ‘stressed’ as he battled huge expectations left by season one

THE Boys creator has admitted season two left him 'stressed' as he battled huge expectations left by season one.

The Amazon Prime Video series returns for its second outing on Friday, a year after the first season was a hit with viewers and critics.

But creator Eric Kripke has now revealed the show's initial success left him with some trepidation as he approached season two.

He told : "I think that maintaining something that was as good, if not better, is really scary.

"I was really stressed making season two, because I was so happy with how season one turned out, and it was so well received, that you don't wanna be the one-hit wonder.

"You feel a real pressure to make it as good. By the same respect, you know, because I've done this job for a while, the first mistake that showrunners make is they try to make a season two bigger, and that's ultimately unsustainable."

He continued: "Because even if you can pull it off, you jump the shark by season three.

"So I thought, I attack this season with like, 'Okay, let's not go bigger with, let's go deeper. Let's be more intense. Let's corner all of our characters. Let's put them all under the most pressure we possibly can.'

"And then let's see what comes out, and how they reveal new facets of who they are.

"And that you can keep doing season, after season, after season. So that was the goal."

Amazon seems to agree, and has already ordered a third series of the show, which stars Karl Urban, Jack Quaid and Chace Crawford.

His comments come days after Karl opened up about season two, saying: "The set pieces and the effects are way bigger than season one.

"Season two has an epic quality to it. It's like season one, except on steroids. It's like Compound V to the f**king max. It's really a testament to the sick mind of Eric Kripke."

The Boys season two premieres on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, September 4.