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Warning: Spoilers for “The Boys” Season 5, Episode 5 — “One-Shots.”
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The latest installment of “The Boys” dives into various character stories as they navigate a transformed world. One of the standout narratives involves Homelander (played by Antony Starr) teaming up with Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) for a trip to Los Angeles. Their mission? To track down the speedster supe Mister Marathon, portrayed by Ackles’ former “Supernatural” co-star Jared Padalecki, in hopes of acquiring crucial information about V1—the one substance capable of granting Homelander eternal life. Mister Marathon, fully embracing the Hollywood lifestyle, hosts a poker game with notable celebrities, including Seth Rogen, Kumail Nanjiani, Will Forte, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse, all playing themselves. These stars are among the lucky few who have avoided Homelander’s ominous Freedom Camps, which have already claimed high-profile figures like Aziz Ansari, Macaulay Culkin, Joaquin Phoenix, Kiefer Sutherland, Meryl Streep, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Benedict Wong.
The episode injects humor as the celebrities devise a plan to resist the authoritarian regime, contemplating the impact of posting a symbolic square on their Instagram grids. This satirical touch is reminiscent of Seth Rogen’s comedic style, notably seen in the 2013 film “This Is the End.” In that movie, Rogen and other celebrities played exaggerated versions of themselves amid an apocalyptic scenario, complete with numerous cameos and darkly comedic deaths. “The Boys” echoes this with a gruesome twist, as Soldier Boy turns A-listers into collateral damage by using them as fodder for Mister Marathon’s super-speed antics, resulting in explosive carnage.
Given Seth Rogen’s deep involvement in “The Boys” as an executive producer, it’s no surprise that Episode 5’s meta humor channels the spirit of “This Is the End.” Rogen, who was instrumental in bringing “The Boys” to Sony by pitching it as a tale of ordinary people challenging superheroes, has made several cameo appearances throughout the series. As the show approaches its conclusion, the inclusion of celebrity cameos feels like a fitting homage to Rogen’s earlier work.
The episode deliberately nods to “This Is the End,” especially when Will Forte casually mentions to Homelander and Soldier Boy that he betrayed Channing Tatum—a reference to Tatum’s memorable cameo as a captive in the 2013 film. Additionally, both “The Boys” and “This Is the End” examine the societal roles of actors. While the actors in “This Is the End” ponder their worth during the rapture, believing their entertainment value should have spared them, “The Boys” features Kumail Nanjiani urging his peers to wield their influence against tyranny, stating, “We’re storytellers, dude. Our superpower is we inspire hearts and minds.”
This Is the End and The Boys Season 5, Episode 5 have even more similarities
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It’s no surprise that the meta humor in “The Boys” Season 5, Episode 5 is reminiscent of “This Is the End,” as Seth Rogen (who co-wrote, co-directed, and co-produced the film along with co-starring in it) is heavily involved in the show, most prominently as an executive producer. Rogen convinced Sony to adapt “The Boys” by pitching it as a story of regular people fighting superheroes, and he’s appeared on the show before in small cameos. Seeing as this is the last season, it only makes sense he’d go all in on celebrity appearances.
This scene from Episode 5 feels intentionally designed to recall “This Is the End.” When Will Forte introduces himself to Homelander and Soldier Boy, he mentions how he turned in Channing Tatum, who has an incredible cameo in “This Is the End” as Danny McBride’s cannibal pet. Also, both projects explore what an actor’s responsibilities are. In “This Is the End,” when the rapture occurs, the left-behind actors ruminate on how they should’ve been saved because they bring joy to others’ lives. On “The Boys,” Kumail Nanjiani brings up how, as actors, it’s up to them to stand up to oppression: “We’re storytellers, dude. Our superpower is we inspire hearts and minds.”
This idea invites interrogation, as actors don’t bring people joy out of charity, and their participation in politics can sometimes come across as misguided or preachy. Many creatives have their trademarks, signature motifs that pop up across their works. For Rogen, that appears to be actors playing themselves, meta commentary on the nature of celebrity, and, of course, a whole lot of visceral violence.