The Boys: Kripke Didn't Want to See Jensen Ackles Kill Jared Padalecki

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The Boys: Kripke Didn't Want to See Jensen Ackles Kill Jared Padalecki

The Boys Showrunner Eric Kripke explains why he didn't want to have Jensen Ackles's Soldier Boy kill Jared Padalecki's Mister Marathon.

Published Fri, 08 May 2026 19:07:08 -0500
by Tom Chang
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Article Summary

• The Boys finally delivers its Supernatural reunion as Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, and Misha Collins share scenes again.
• Eric Kripke reveals he refused to have Soldier Boy kill Mr. Marathon because Jensen Ackles killing Jared felt wrong.
• Homelander ends up killing Mister Marathon in One-Shots, making the brutal The Boys twist feel more fitting.
• Kripke also addresses Malchemical and Soldier Boy fan speculation, leaving that dynamic open to audience interpretation.

Next to the upcoming series finale, "One-Shots" was probably the most anticipated episode of The Boys because we got the Supernatural reunion we wanted as Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, and Mischa Collins shared the screen for the first time in six years when the CW series ended after 15 seasons. Instead of playing brothers Dean and Sam Winchester and their angelic ally Castiel, the trio played supes on the Eric Kripke Prime Video series: the Captain America-inspired Soldier Boy, the speedster Mister Marathon, and the noxious Malchemical. As Homelander (Antony Starr) and his father, Soldier Boy, catch up to Mister Marathon at his mansion hosting a celebrity poker game, things escalate and end badly for all those involved, which includes all the aforementioned guest stars. Kripke spoke with TV Insider about the creative decision, especially with Padalecki's Mister Marathon and why it had to be Homelander who killed him, not his former TV brother.

The Boys Creator Eric Kripke on Having Homelander Kill Mister Marathon, Not Soldier Boy

Things start to go south as Homelander and Soldier Boy, who are seeking out V1, the original Compound V that made the latter immortal. Malchemical uses his power to knock Homelander out. As he and Mister Marathon try to get Soldier Boy to finish him, he stands up for him by breaking Malchemical's neck which sets off Mister Marathon in a coke-fueled rage trying to go on the attack, but with tons of collateral damage, main his celebrity friends consisting of Seth Rogen, Kumail Nanjiani, Craig Robinson, Will Forte, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse, playing more self-aware, smarmy versions of themselves who know they live in the fucked up world of The Boys. As Mister Marathon, trips on baby oil, Soldier Boy further immobilizes him, mangling his ankle with a recovered Homelander, stomps and crushes the former Walker's head like a grape.

When asked if he thought of making Collins' Malchemical more than a fan of Ackles' Soldier Boy, "No, that was never part of the discussion," laughs Kripke, adding that he gets why folks would hold out hope. "I mean, look, the 'Supernatural' fans and the Destiel proponents, God love them all and [please] keep on doing it. I want the audience to, you know, embrace and love whatever they're passionate about. That's one where I'm choosing to leave it up to audience interpretation."

As far as if he mulled having Soldier Boy killing Mister Marathon was on the table or if it would be too awkward, "It's funny that you say that, and maybe it's my sentimentality for the guys, [but] it would have been very easy to have had Soldier Boy kill Mister Marathon in that moment, but there was something about it where I was like, 'It doesn't feel right to me to have Jensen kill Jared,'" Kripke said. "It made me feel, you know, sketchy. So, then we brought in Homelander to do it, which felt a lot more appropriate. So, yeah, no, that was intentional, that was intentional. I didn't want Jensen to kill Jared." The Boys streams Wednesdays on Prime Video.

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