The Boys Series Finale Almost Featured A Cameo From A Fan-Favorite Hero

This post contains spoilers for "The Boys."

The series finale of "The Boys" marks the end of an era. This extended final episode featured some major deaths, and also neatly wrapped up the fates of surviving characters. Some cameo appearances left more to be desired, such as the "Gen V" trio — Marie (Jazz Sinclair), Jordan (London Thor), and Emma (Lizze Broadway) — popping in just to escort some civilians to Canada.

One person's absence, however, was deeply felt: Queen Maeve (Dominique McElligott), who is name-dropped by Annie (Erin Moriarty) during her conversation with Marie. Franchise creator Eric Kripke told GoldDerby that he had intended for Maeve to show up in the finale, but things didn't work out behind-the-scenes:

"I would have loved to have had Maeve. I was in conversation with Dom[inique]. We still email once in a while. She's mostly retired from acting, and her schedule didn't work out. It was all a very friendly, non-controversial thing. I was like, 'If we wrote it, would you do it?' And she's like, 'I'm kind of out of it, and I'm busy, and unfortunately I can't, but send everyone my love.' That was sort of it."

The last time we saw Maeve was during the show's Season 3 finale, where she viciously fought Homelander (Antony Starr) and lost an eye in the process. Her final act of bravery saved millions of lives, as Maeve had tackled a radioactive Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) to ensure that he exploded mid-air. Although the world presumes Maeve dead and remembers her as a hero, she is later revealed to be alive. After losing her powers during the Soldier Boy fight, Maeve moves to the countryside with her lover, Elena (Nicola Correia-Damude), to live out the rest of her life in (relative) peace.

In the spirit of parodying popular superheroes, "The Boys" presents Maeve as a satirical take on Wonder Woman. An aspirational figure from the perspective of the masses, Maeve struggled with cynicism in the face of eroding idealism due to Vought's corruptive hold over America. Maeve's jaded bitterness was juxtaposed against Annie/Starlight's hopeful nature during initial seasons, but the two banded together when occasion demanded, such as when Maeve helped Annie and Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) beat up the Nazi supe, Stormfront (Aya Cash).

Even after Maeve's heroic Season 3 exit, Kripke always had plans to bring the character back before the show ended. "I don't think 'The Boys' will end without Maeve showing up again," Kripke told Variety back in 2022. This makes sense, as the showrunner had avoided the tired Bury Your Gays trope by giving Maeve a happy ending, which is rare within the context of the unpredictable world of "The Boys." Maeve's return, even for a brief while, would've granted her the agency to participate in one last fight against Homelander. After all, a person without superpowers can also help — in some cases, like with Hughie (Jack Quaid), compassion becomes a superpower when all hope is lost.

Given the cathartic nature of Homelander's death, it would've been satisfying to see Maeve's reaction to the White House live broadcast. As a victim of Homelander's psychological abuse, Maeve would've been elated to learn that justice has been finally served, and that the world is now a safer place. While the Maeve cameo didn't pan out due to practical circumstances, it's not far-fetched to assume that Queen Maeve is as proud of the titular Boys as we are.

"The Boys" is streaming on Prime Video.