By Alex Roush & Renaldo Matadeen
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The following contains major spoilers for Season 4, Episode 6 of The Boys, now streaming on Prime Video.
It's safe to say The Boys is quite a hit. Four seasons in, and it's still telling poignant stories about politics, using the vehicle of superheroes to drive the satire. Interestingly, as much as it melds action, fantasy, and sci-fi, showrunner Eric Kripke cracked the big time due to a horror series years before.
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Kripke directed CW's Supernatural, so it should come as no surprise that he's brought over a few Supernatural connections with him. He cast Jensen Ackles (Supernatural's Dean Winchester) to play Soldier Boy and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Joe Kessler — one of Billy Butcher's former military allies. Coincidentally, The Boys features another connection to Supernatural in the form of Rob Benedict, who is only the latest actor to join the cast after previously starring in the hit CW show.
Updated by Alex Roush on October 15, 2024: The Boys includes many connections to Supernatural, including shared cast and crew members and references to Baby, Dean Winchester's signature 1967 Chevrolet Impala. As Season 5 approaches, fans are interested in seeing what happens to the beloved characters in the final season. This article has been updated to include more information on Supernatural actors in The Boys, enhance the reader experience, and adhere to CBR formatting guidelines.
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Who Did Rob Benedict Play on Supernatural?
Benedict Portrayed Chuck Shurley/God in the Series
Benedict played God on Supernatural. Or as he was also known, Chuck. Chuck was a big part of the show from Season 4 onward. The Winchesters learned they were pawns in his game between angels and demons, which they didn't like at all. As the show continued towards its 15th and final season in 2020, God oscillated between being a hero and a villain.
He led a few apocalypses to balance the scales of life and death. He even had a feud with his twin sister, Amara. He didn't want her to end all creation, so he became a hero for a bit. However, God kept riffing on concepts such as free will and loyalty, betraying the Winchesters later in the show. No matter what, he needed to control everyone's destinies, which was linked to why some angels rebelled.
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Benedict brought a dark comedic edge to the role. No matter what, God hated being held accountable for his sins. He kept cracking jokes when his egotistical nature was pointed out. Of course, Chuck had a god complex. There were moments he felt benevolent, though. He studied mankind, working as a writer and such to get closer to humanity. In the end, the Winchesters found him to be untrustworthy, unpredictable, and nothing more than a petulant child who was obsessed with power.
Who Is Rob Benedict's Splinter on The Boys?
The Character Guest Stars in the First Season
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Benedict plays Splinter in Episode 2, "Life Among the Septics." He's not in the comics, and was created just for the show. Splinter is essentially a pastiche of Marvel's Jamie Madrox, aka the Multiple Man. He can create clones of himself, but he doesn't use his powers for good. Splinter is Firecracker's spokesperson, and he wants to increase her far-right cult at a Homelander support convention, TruthCon.
He uses his replicates to assist. In time, Frenchie and Kimiko follow him to find information on Firecracker, and soon learn of his obsession with her. He's found in a sauna pleasuring himself to a picture of Firecracker, all while his duplicates form a "human centipede." It's a very graphic and lewd scene, reinforcing The Boys' mature intended audience.
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Ironically, some markets didn't take nicely to these X-rated scenes. India edited this sequence out. The "Herogasm" content in the past was also heavily censored. Splinter eventually uses his replicates to attack the Boys after Sister Sage sets a trap. As they hold The Boys at gunpoint, Frenchie points out that the clones have pink eye. It's quite hilarious, although the humor shifts when a gory fight breaks out.
Splinter holds his own, although some of the copies are naked and once more push the envelope. Thankfully, Karl Urban's Billy Butcher arrives to murder some of the copies and impale the Prime Splinter. The other duplicates die instantaneously. The last one, in Benedict's timid, signature voice, professes his love before he dies. It's very funny and feels like Kripke wanted Benedict to really shock fans, full-frontal nudity and all.
What Effect Has Splinter's Death Had on The Boys' Firecracker?
His Death Only Made Her Want To Seek Revenge on the Boys
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Now, Firecracker never cared about Splinter crushing on her. He was just a tool to add to her popularity online. She kept it professional rather than personal. Thus, she doesn't like that an asset was taken. She's all into brand building and whatnot. This is why she plays Sage's game, even if it dehumanizes her. Sage constantly demeans her intelligence and Southern upbringing. But Firecracker assuages her rage by accepting that her new show, Truthbomb, on Vought's TV station is turning her into a cult of personality.
She's gaining more followers and expanding Homelander's fanbase. She has value and worth. However, she resents Sage; someone she sees as a media manager. Splinter was that to her. He worshiped her, though. Now, she doesn't have someone to boss around and show she is in charge. The power lies with Sage.
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Splinter's death has further pushed Firecracker hard into wanting the Boys dead. Firecracker exposes Starlight's abortion and other secrets on air. She wants Starlight to pay for her crew murdering Splinter. This passion drives her to slander Starlight's social justice movement, too. Admittedly, Firecracker hated Starlight since their days in pageants, but with Splinter gone, well, that's just extra fuel for the fire.
What Does The Boys' Splinter Mean to Firecracker's New Career?
Firecracker Devotes Herself to Homelander
Splinter is a symbol of the past that Firecracker clings to in order to remember her hunger and ambition. Firecracker doesn't ever want to feel small and unimportant. She was desperate back then. She needed to use thirst traps and manipulate "incels" like Splinter to make her brand popular. As she told Sage when they first met, she wanted a more meaningful purpose. She didn't want to go back to web shows in the basement. Firecracker wanted credibility on TV. Little did she know Sage would view her as a minion and not a partner.
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As such, Splinter's memory keeps Firecracker hungry. It also reminds her not to trust Sage. She has to use Sage the way she is being used. It's what Splinter would want. Firecracker does have that puppet master in her still. She just needs to understand the landscape better. She cannot be underestimated, which coincidentally is what Sage is doing. It's very much like Game of Thrones at Vought. Firecracker wants to take Sage's place at Homelander's side. Splinter would be jealous, but he would back her and instill confidence to get the job done.
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This culminates in a diabolical play in The Boys Episode 6, "Dirty Business." Firecracker has been using a regimen of drugs to generate breast milk for Homelander. Splinter's cell knew how much this was a fetish of his, and Firecracker was using that to her benefit. She has entrapped Homelander, going as far as to breastfeed him. She'll do anything to be his main love interest.
That's the cutthroat attitude that led to Splinter loving her. Wherever his soul may be, he'd be proud. Firecracker has come a long way from begging for views and likes online. Firecracker is now a woman who is gaining more influence by the day, and she'll keep using Splinter's memory to motivate her to scale the Vought corporate ladder.
Another Supernatural Actor Is Part of The Boys' Cast
He’s Even Named After His Supernatural Character
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Jim Beaver first joined The Boys in Season 1, Episode 8, "You Found Me," portraying U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert A. Singer. Singer has become increasingly more present throughout the series, from one episode in Season 1 to four episodes in Season 4. He runs a successful campaign for president, but after the Boys save him from an attempted murder-by-shapeshifter, Singer is framed for Neuman’s murder and arrested.
Robert Singer in The Boys is named after Supernatural's Bobby Singer, one of the series’ more obvious Supernatural references, especially considering they share the same actor. The pair also share another connection: The Boys’ Robert Singer is called Dakota Bob, and Supernatural’s Bobby Singer owns Singer’s Salvage Yard in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Two of Bobby’s most iconic Supernatural quotes, "Idjit!" and "Balls!" were also spoken by his character in The Boys.
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The Boys Season 5 will premiere on Prime Video sometime in 2026, but no official release date has been announced.
The Boys
TV-MA
Action
Drama
Crime
Comedy
The Boys: In a world where superheroes are commercialized and often corrupt, a vigilante group known as "The Boys" embarks on a mission to expose the truth and take down the superpowered beings who abuse their power. The series delves into themes of power, corruption, and accountability, offering a gritty and unflinching look at the price of heroism.
Where to Watch
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*Availability in US
- Release Date
- July 25, 2019
- Creator(s)
- Eric Kripke
- Cast
- Karl Urban , Jack Quaid , Antony Starr , Erin Moriarty , Jessie T. Usher , Laz Alonso , Chace Crawford , Tomer Capon , Karen Fukuhara , Nathan Mitchell , Colby Minifie , Dominique McElligott , claudia doumit , Cameron Crovetti , Nneka Elliott , Laila Robins , Shantel VanSanten , Aya Cash , Giancarlo Esposito , Jordana Lajoie , Katy Breier , Matthew Edison , Jim Beaver , Elisabeth Shue , Jensen Ackles , Simon Pegg , Susan Heyward , Valorie Curry , Jeffrey Dean Morgan , Ann Cusack , Nicola Correia Damude , Christian Keyes , Sabrina Saudin , Malcolm Barrett , Liyou Abere , Jennifer Esposito , David Reale , Frances Turner
- Main Genre
- Action
- Seasons
- 4
- Franchise
- Creator
- Production Company
- Story By
- Garth Ennis
- Writers
- Eric Kripke
- Streaming Service(s)
- Amazon Prime Video
- Franchise(s)
- The Boys
- Directors
- Erin Moriarty , Karen Fukuhara , Karl Urban , Jack Quaid , Eric Kripke
- Showrunner
- Eric Kripke
- Character(s)
- Billy Butcher , Hugh Hughie Campbell , John / Homelander , Annie January / Starlight , Reggie Franklin / A-Train , Marvin T. Milk / M.M. / Mother's Milk , Kevin Moskowitz / The Deep , Serge / Frenchie , Kimiko Miyashiro / The Female , Earving / Black Noir , Ashley Barrett , Maggie Shaw / Queen Maeve , Victoria Vic Neuman , Ryan , Grace Mallory , Becca Butcher , Klara Risinger / Stormfront / Liberty , Meerkat Stan Edgar , Cherie , Cassandra , Cameron Coleman , Robert Singer , Madelyn Stillwell , Ben / Soldier Boy , Hugh Campbell , Jessica Bradley / Sister Sage , Misty Tucker Gray / Firecracker , Joe Kessler , Donna January , Elena , Nathan , Also Ashley , Seth Reed , Janine , Susan Rayner , Evan Lambert , Monique
- TV
- The Boys
- Supernatural
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