The wild ride of ‘The Boys’ has officially reached its end. After five seasons of mayhem, dark satire, and shocking twists, the hit show has aired its final episode this week. Fans have been strapped in for an emotional rollercoaster, and the cast says the journey was just as intense for them. No spoilers here, but fair warning: not everyone’s favorite character made it to the finish line.In an interview with Spectrum News, the cast opened up about the emotional conclusion, thanked fans for their support, and shared which other character they would have liked to play if their journey on ‘The Boys’ began anew. Some also spoke about how working on the show helped build lasting friendships, and one cast member revealed what she would or would not tell herself if she could go back to the very beginning.“It’s crazy,” Antony Starr, who plays Homelander, said about the last season. “I think it is a very great finish to a show that we have all loved being a part of.”
A message to the fans who stuck around
When asked what they would say to the viewers who have been there from the start, Nathan Mitchell, who brought Black Noir to life, put it simply:“I would say thank you for being with us on this crazy journey. You know, the making of the show is just one half of the process. The other half is when you all watch it. And it’s so fulfilling and so rewarding and satisfying to hear how the show has affected you, to see your memes, to see all the online chatter. The show isn’t anything without you guys. So thank you.”
If they could start over, would they play a different character?
The question sparked some playful and heartfelt answers.Susan Heyward, who plays Sister Sage, admitted she’s drawn to another hero’s arc entirely. “I really do identify with Starlight’s disillusionment, what she thought the Seven was, what she thought fame was, what she thought being a hero was, and realizing that she’d been fed some marketing, honestly. Her journey to find out her own values and stay in integrity with those, I’d love to play that kind of arc. That’d be amazing.”Colby Minifie, known for her role as the frantic Ashley Barrett, didn’t hesitate to stay loyal to her character. “Who else would I play? I mean, I think I’d like to spend a day doing what the Deep does. But if I could do it all again, I wouldn’t take another character. I love this girl. She’s really lost and she’s tried really hard and she’s suffered a lot and she’s made a lot of bad choices and she can’t look at herself in the mirror anymore, but she’s trying, you know? I really identify with her just trying spirit.”Antony Starr, the actor behind Homelander, had a more practical and quickly abandoned fantasy. “Kimiko, but that was because I didn’t have to learn lines. Then I was informed quickly that she had to learn a whole invented sign language. I was like, oh, that’s way more work. So then I went to Noir, the original Noir, before he was recast as a Nathan recast himself. And then he started speaking…”Laz Alonso, who portrays Mother’s Milk, didn’t need to think twice. “No. I love MM. I love everything he’s brought to the team and his whole hero’s journey and the arc that’s been built for him. In all earnestness and sincerity, there’s no other character that I think I could service the way I did him.”Jensen Ackles, who stepped into the boots of Soldier Boy, had deep respect for the entire ensemble. “Everybody kind of fulfilled their role so beautifully and with the utmost craft. I think about the characters that I really, really love, and usually they’re on the Boys’ side, from MM to Hughie, Frenchie… my God, what Tomer did with that is just awesome. So I wouldn’t want to play another role because I wouldn’t think about filling the shoes that those guys have built.”
Looking back: what would you tell your younger self?
Erin Moriarty, who brought Starlight to the screen, offered a thoughtful, almost poetic answer. “I don’t like the concept of telling myself a lot of things that are going to happen in the future, especially when it’s such a special experience. I just want to experience it as it unfolds. I would just say: you hear these types of things and you take them in, but to embody them is a different thing. On a daily basis, when you’re around the people you work with, no matter what’s going on, however long a day you’re having, just look around and take them all in. Soak up the gratitude. Because really, it’s this group of people that made the show the special experience that it has been, professionally and personally. Maybe once a day, take two seconds to just look around you and really take everyone in. That’s it. I wouldn’t want to prepare myself mentally or forecast anything, because the magic in the show and how this whole experience has transpired has been in the not knowing how magical it was going to all be.”Karen Fukuhara, who plays Kimiko, echoed that sentiment with warmth. “I think it’s a once in a lifetime experience to have this kind of friendship, and we’ve really grown to be sort of a family. I can already imagine looking back, I’m already looking back, to be honest, but even more so when I grow older. This was really the best of the best, and I’m gonna look back and just be grateful for everything the show has given me.”
The most surprising thing about the journey
Karl Urban, the man behind Billy Butcher, reflected on five seasons of chaos, violence, and dark humor, but what caught him off guard wasn’t on the script pages.“In a way it’s surprising, but just how close we’ve all gotten over the course of the last sort of nine years of knowing each other. We’ve all leaned on each other at various different points and times. I guess just the depth of that bond has really transcended any other experience I’ve had as an actor on a multitude of other shows. Probably the best thing for us personally to come out of this whole experience is that bond, knowing that going forward, we’re gonna be in each other’s lives.”As ‘The Boys’ takes its final bow, the cast leaves behind not just a show that redefined the superhero genre, but a family forged in the mayhem. And for the fans who watched it all unfold? They’ll always be part of the journey, too.