In just a few days, Prime Video’s The Boys will come to an end. The final season hasn’t really been what fans have hoped for, with many airing their grievances about the show’s problems on a weekly basis.
One particular sentiment that’s been cropping up is the idea that season five is too focused on Soldier Boy. Jensen Ackles’ character isn’t just Homelander’s father, he’s also going to be headlining the Vought Rising spinoff due next year, and a recent episode featured Bombsight, another main character from that show. As such, many fans have speculated that crucial plot development in The Boys’ final season is being ignored to set up Vought Rising but, in a new interview with The Watch podcast (via IGN), show creator Eric Kripke argued that nothing is being sacrificed. Instead, he said, the show is just taking advantage of having a fleshed out universe.
“We had this notion of V-One as a McGuffin, and we knew Soldier Boy would be a character this season,” Kripke said. “…So we wondered what was it about whatever he and Stormfront had that made them immortal.” After coming up with V-One, the team checked with Vought showrunner Paul Grellong about that show’s plans for Bombsight, and they realized there was an opportunity to tie the shows together. As Kripke noted, any “rando old hero” could’ve had V-One, or the Boys team could insert someone who was already on the cast sheet.
“How do you do enough that you can touch on it, but not so much you feel like it’s homework or just a commercial?” asked Kripke about Bombsight. “[Adding him] was pretty organic, and not any craven commercialism in there. We have these pieces, so if we’re able to use them, why not?”
Any actual setup going down in The Boys’ final season, Kripke said, is to ensure the finale gives fans what they want “in some interesting and surprising ways.” We’ll find out if the show succeeds and converts its detractors this Wednesday, May 20.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
