With The Boys nearing its conclusion, Prime Video has released a teaser video for this week’s episode, confirming the introduction of two new characters with just a few episodes left of the entire series. Oh, and we also get a closer look at Homelander’s ass than anyone asked for.
Warning! Spoilers for The Boys Season 5, Episode 5 follow:
One of these characters we know about: Jared Padalecki plays Mister Marathon, who appears here alongside Jensen Ackles’ Soldier Boy. But there’s also another new character introduced with just a few episodes left of the entire series: Misha Collins’ mystery role.
In the show, Mister Marathon was The Seven’s original super fast superhero (supervillain), but was replaced by A-Train because he slowed down as he aged. But why does Mister Marathon, previously only mentioned up to this point, return now?
Based on the teaser, Soldier Boy and Homelander visit Mister Marathon and this mystery character looking for information on V-One. V-One, let’s remember, is the original super serum, and Homelander is desperate for it in order to achieve immortality. “What do you know about V-One?” Homelander asks. Mister Marathon replies: “You’ve come to the right place.” I’m not sure Misha Collins’ character is going to last very long, based on the grip Soldier Boy has on his neck — and the glimpse we get of a gory explosion. Someone blows up all over Mister Marathon. Is it Misha Collins’ character? Or is this teaser trying to make us thing it is?
Showrunner Eric Kripke has teased that Mister Marathon’s appearance is more than a cameo, saying: “I want a meaty, fun role that really turns the story.” “He used to be at Seven Tower, he was in that conference room, he was a part of the lore,” Kripke told Entertainment Weekly. “So I thought that was perfect. And part of me just loved the idea of him playing a coke-blowing scumbag because he’s such a good guy both in real life and in all the roles he plays. I just wanted him to be really sleazy, and he crushed it.”
Fans are already wondering how The Boys can get away with adding new characters into the mix so late in the day, especially for a show with so many established characters already. And Mister Marathon and his mystery companion aren’t even the only two new characters set to appear in Season 5, either. We’ll soon see Bombsite, played by Stranger Things star Mason Dye. Bombsite, mentioned in Season 4 and recently in Season 5, is a supe who starred in the early Vought superhero film The Curse of Fu Manchu in the 1950s.
Elsewhere in the teaser, we see Terror, Billy Butcher’s loyal English Bulldog, enjoying himself a bit too much, Homelander showing off his rear end uncomfortably close to the camera (is this someone’s fantasy?!), a very, VERY unfortunate toilet experience, and Giancarlo Esposito’s Stan Edgar teasing a “delightful reunion.” This is a clear nod to the fact three of the actors in Episode 5 were stars on CW show Supernatural, which ran from 2005 to 2020. Jensen Ackles played Dean Winchester, Jared Padalecki played Sam Winchester, and Misha Collins played Castiel.
We’ve got plenty more on The Boys while you wait for Episode 5, including comments from Kripke on how it’s become increasingly difficult to present satire, given everything that’s happening in the real world.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
