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The Boys Season 5 Thoughts: Soldier Boy, Starlight, Homelander & More

From Soldier Boy and badass Starlight to a fired-up Ryan and Homelander not pulling his punches, some thoughts on The Boys Season 5 teaser.

During CCXP Brazil 2025 on Saturday, Prime Video and Showrunner Eric Kripke announced that the fifth and final season of The Boys would get underway on April 8th. In addition, we were treated to a teaser trailer that gave us a whole lot to unpack – and that's precisely what I did. Here's a rundown of some random thoughts and observations about the preview above – let me know what you think:

"We ain't survivin' this f***ing war. We are dead men walking." MM's (Laz Alonso) words, combined with a look at just how desperate things have gotten under Homelander's (Antony Starr) rule, were a great way to kick off the teaser. It effectively drove home that this is it. Even though the odds are against them, this is the final chance to take down Homelander for good.

The Vought concentration camps were chilling, and those moments between Hughie (Jack Quaid) and Annie (Erin Moriarty), and Frenchie (Tomer Capone) and Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara), were touching and heartbreaking. I can't shake this feeling that the future might not be too bright for Frenchie and Kimiko (though I hope I'm wrong).

Speaking of Annie… or should I say mother-f***in' Starlight after that scene where she unleashes her powers. I've appreciated her growth as a leader over the past four seasons, but I really want to credit her appearances in Gen V Season 2 for really building that up in a way that made this moment feel right.

"You wouldn't be the first to throw their life away in a war. But you would be the first to save the world doing it. So how about it, you lot?" While we loved seeing the band get back together (even if it ends up being their final one), seeing how Butcher (Karl Urban) is looking much better than when we last saw him, and how everyone seems to be more on the same page than ever before, has me curious about what leads up to that point. Remember, Butcher, didn't leave things on the friendliest of terms last season. I'm curious to see what the status of Jeffrey Dean Morgan's "Joe Kessler" is at this point, too.

Bonus points for that exchange between Butcher and Kimiko – serious Season 1 vibes there.

If we're being honest, Kripke won us over once we knew that Styx's "Renegade" was going to be in play.

Once again, Ashley (Colby Minifie) has found a way to go from the brink of death to career advancement in the snap of a finger. Or in Ashley's case, a serious injection of Compound V. Now, she's Homelander's White House Press Secretary… but still no sign of what her power might be.

Just in case Gen V Season 2 didn't make things clear enough, Stan Edgar (Giancarlo Esposito) and Zoe (Olivia Morandin) are definitely going to be major players this season. But for now, we're putting them in the "wildcard" category simply because Edgar is always thinking five moves ahead of everyone else.

I know a lot of folks are assuming that Ryan (Cameron Crovetti) is going the Homelander route when his eyes light up, and rightfully so, but I'm not so sure. If that moment is connected to what we just saw, it would seem he might be taking out some of Vought's stormtroopers.

Sister Sage (Susan Heyward) has a few "GET OUT OF JAIL FREE" cards tucked away – I can just feel it.

"A reckoning is coming." We see Homelander standing before a frozen Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles), his father, although it's tough to say if those words are directly tied to that moment. We do know that Homelander and Soldier Boy are going to have an awkward reunion, with Soldier Boy looking for revenge on Butcher and Hughie while also have to deal with a son who's now a dictator.

Soldier Boy/Jared Padalecki Moment: It was interesting because we noticed Soldier Boy behind Jared Padalecki's character before the teaser cuts to that scene with Homelander and Soldier Boy together. Later, we see Padalecki's character in what appears to be some kind of supersuit in the middle of a very gory scene. During Fan Expo Boston (as reported by Collider) in August, Padaleck teased this about his character's connection to Soldier Boy: "I'll say this much — my character is very excited to meet Soldier Boy."

Those scenes involving The Deep (Chace Crawford) are interesting due to the possibilities. Is he watching sealife around him dying, without Homelander caring about it? Did The Boys and their forces launch an aquatic assault on The Deep's allies? Or is it a publicity opportunity orchestrated by Vought to make our heroes look good in the public's eye?

Even during the season finale of Gen V, and especially here, we can't shake this feeling that A-Train (Jessie T. Usher) might be making a serious heroic sacrifice?

Meanwhile, it looks like Firecracker (Valorie Curry) is becoming even more of a right-wing whackjob…

Awww… RIP Bentley Alexander, aka Terror.

Who's that with the long hair and bloody face, spitting something out that we're sure was pretty nasty.

That primal screen laster blast from Homelander was very telling – and it's safe to say that knowing who was with him in that moment would probably offer a ton of spoiler-level answers.

"Even if I have to drag your broken f***ing carcasses over the finish line, we are going all the way. No matter the cost. Till the job's f***ing done." Butcher's words were a perfect bookend to MM's sentiments during the teaser's opening.

Who's Homelander Beating the Living S**T Out Of? Based on the expression on his face, there are so many possibilities. It's interesting to read into his pauses, too, because it vibes that this isn't someone he has just a blind hatred toward or considers insignificant. It's almost as if he's resigning himself to the fact that this has to happen.

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