As The Boys heads toward its series finale, fan discussions have increasingly shifted toward one controversial topic: whether Season 5 is prioritizing setup for the upcoming prequel Vought Rising instead of focusing on its own ending.
With characters like Soldier Boy returning and new faces such as Bombsight being introduced, some viewers have questioned if the final season is doubling as a launchpad for future projects.
Now, The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke has directly addressed those concerns, clarifying that the connections to Vought Rising were never meant as forced promotion.
Showrunner denies Season 5 is “just a setup”
In a recent interview with The Watch, the creator explained that the writing team was aware of the risk of overdoing crossovers, especially so close to the series finale.
“How do you do enough that you can touch on it, but not so much that you feel like it’s homework or you feel like it’s just a commercial?” he said.
The comment highlights the tight balance the team aimed to maintain while building a shared universe.
Importantly, he pushed back against the idea that Season 5 was shaped by marketing needs.
“There wasn’t a lot of craven commercialism in there,” he added, emphasizing that the story choices came from within the narrative rather than external pressure.
Despite the criticism, the presence of Vought Rising connections in Season 5 is not accidental. Instead, the showrunner explained that these elements grew naturally out of the story the team wanted to tell.
A key example is the introduction of “V-One,” a concept tied to the origins of powerful characters like Soldier Boy and Stormfront. Once that idea was established, it opened the door to exploring characters connected to that history.
“We didn’t start it like, ‘We gotta set up our thing!’” he said, making it clear that the creative process was driven by storytelling rather than franchise planning.
This approach allowed the show to incorporate familiar and upcoming characters without feeling disconnected from the main plot.
Bombsight and the shared universe approach
One of the most debated additions in Season 5 has been Bombsight, a character who will play a role in Vought Rising. Some fans viewed his appearance as a direct attempt to generate interest in the prequel.
However, the showrunner explained that Bombsight’s inclusion came from collaboration between the two shows’ creative teams. When Vought Rising showrunner Paul Grellong shared his plans for the character, it sparked a discussion about how to integrate him into The Boys.
“So, when the question comes up… should it be one of those characters, because those characters are so badass?” he said.
The decision ultimately came down to choosing what best served the story while also strengthening the broader universe.
As the final season unfolds, the challenge for The Boys is delivering a satisfying conclusion while also existing within a growing franchise. According to the showrunner, the priority has always been clear: finish the story properly.
At the same time, he sees value in maintaining a connected universe where stories can overlap.
“It’s a full universe, and we have these pieces, so if we’re able to use them, why not?” he explained.
This perspective suggests that the references to Vought Rising are not distractions, but extensions of the world the show has been building since its first season.
