Following the intense conclusion of Gen V Season 2, many viewers are speculating about the formidable Marie Moreau’s potential role in a face-off against Homelander, the chief antagonist of The Boys. However, showrunner Eric Kripke has cautioned fans against expecting Marie to serve as an instant, all-powerful solution to Homelander in The Boys Season 5, emphasizing that she won’t swoop in like a “Captain Marvel-style deus ex machina” to effortlessly defeat him.
Kripke explains that Marie is still far from fully mastering her incredible abilities. He humorously likened her current state to “not Neo at the end of The Matrix,” indicating that her journey of power control is still ongoing.
Warning! This article contains spoilers for both The Boys and Gen V.
To recap Marie’s capabilities: she possesses the extraordinary ability to manipulate blood. This power, if fully realized, could potentially make her even more formidable than Homelander himself. For those unfamiliar, Homelander is often described as a malevolent Superman, wielding such immense power that few rivals dare challenge his authority. However, Marie Moreau, portrayed by Jaz Sinclair, holds the unique potential to end his reign through her mastery of weaponized blood.
However, it appears Marie’s full potential will not be achieved before The Boys Season 5. In an interview with Variety, Kripke confirmed that Season 5 of The Boys will commence approximately six months after the events of the Gen V Season 2 finale. During this time, Marie and her allies will unite with Annie/Starlight (Erin Moriarty) and A-Train (Jessie T. Usher) to continue their struggle against the powerful corporation, Vought.
Kripke elaborated on Marie’s capabilities, stating, “She’s super powerful, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that she’s amazing at controlling it.” He reiterated the “Neo at the end of The Matrix” comparison, explaining that such immediate mastery isn’t ideal for storytelling. Instead, Kripke prefers to see characters, especially young ones like Marie, who are actively “struggling and growing.” This means that despite her immense raw power, Marie’s journey will involve learning to harness and control it effectively.
Echoing these sentiments in a separate interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Kripke emphasized that Marie remains “still young,” and her extraordinary power doesn’t translate to “perfect control over it.” He noted that an immediate, effortless mastery of her abilities would create “boring Messiah characters.” Marie, he insists, is “still a person” grappling with the challenges of her burgeoning power, implying a significant arc of development for her character.
Continuing this discussion in an interview with ComicBook, Kripke expressed his personal desire to see Homelander “get his ass kicked” because “he deserves it.” However, he quickly clarified that Marie’s raw power doesn’t equate to perfect control. “She is still just a kid. She is not Neo at the end of The Matrix,” Kripke stated, emphasizing Marie’s need for “a lot of growing to do, and a lot of setbacks and challenges.” He views this struggle as key to making her character compelling. Ultimately, Kripke is uncertain if Marie would fare well in a direct confrontation with Homelander at this stage, hinting that “there are a lot of people in line and waiting to bitch slap Homelander.”
The overarching question remains whether Homelander will finally meet his demise in The Boys Season 5. While Kripke naturally remained tight-lipped about this major plot point, he did reveal to The Hollywood Reporter that Billy Butcher is “front of that line” to confront Homelander. Beyond Butcher, several other characters, including Stan Edgar, Marie, Annie, and Hughie, are also eager for their chance to take on the villain.