All 19 Easter Eggs & References In The Boys Season 5’s Supernatural Reunion

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Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Boys season 5, episode 5.

The latest episode of The Boys season 5, episode 5, advanced the plot while also featuring a fun reunion with Jared Padalecki, best known for his role in Supernatural. Padalecki played Mr. Marathon, a speedster who was part of The Seven before A-Train. Notably, Supernatural was co-created by Eric Kripke, who also runs The Boys, and featured Jensen Ackles alongside Padalecki. The episode was packed with references and Easter eggs for fans of Supernatural.

Misha Collins, known for his role as Castiel in Supernatural, made a guest appearance in The Boys season 5, episode 5. He wasn’t the only celebrity to join the show – Seth Rogen, Kumail Nanjiani, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse also appeared in a special storyline that happened right before the episode’s big finale.

The latest episode took place at Mr. Marathon’s house in Los Angeles and focused on Soldier Boy and Homelander’s quest for V-One. The episode was packed with hidden references and nods to other media – including the show Supernatural and elements from The Boys itself – as well as allusions to real-life superhero franchises, Hollywood figures, and recent pop culture moments.

19. Michaela Starr

A key source of these hidden details is a room covered in posters advertising Mr. Marathon’s superhero films. Several of these posters credit Michaela Starr as the lead actress. Although not an actor herself, Starr works behind the scenes in Hollywood, including on the show The Boys. She’s a well-known producer, most notably for Gen V and other shows connected to The Boys universe.

18. Mr. Marathon: Around the Speedy-Verse

The promotional posters for The Boys don’t just credit the show’s creators – they also playfully imitate popular superhero movies from Marvel and DC. One poster announces a fake film called “Mr. Marathon: Around the Speedy-Verse,” which is a clear nod to Sony’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. The title and the pose of the character on the poster both intentionally resemble elements from the Spider-Man franchise.

Because of Mr. Marathon’s abilities, the poster also references the 2023 film The Flash. In that movie, Barry Allen travels through time and different universes, similar to what Mr. Marathon appears to do in “Around the Speedy-Verse.”

17. Mr. Marathon Origins: Madame Marathon

A new parody poster combines references to two Marvel movies. It’s titled “Mr. Marathon Origins: Madame Marathon.” The “Mr. Marathon Origins” part jokes about X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which was the first movie spun off from the X-Men series. The “Madame Marathon” section is a playful nod to Madame Web, one of the many Spider-Man spin-off films released recently.

16. Mr. Marathon: Vampire Hunter

Another poster on Mr. Marathon’s wall advertises a movie called “Mr. Marathon: Vampire Hunter.” This is a nod to the TV show Supernatural, starring Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, where their characters hunt supernatural beings, including vampires. The title also subtly connects to the Spider-Man movie Kraven the Hunter, though the link isn’t as obvious.

15. Sony Pictures TV

It’s funny that all the posters we’ve seen so far advertise Spider-Man movies made by Sony, not Marvel. This is a running joke, as the character Homelander points out that none of these films are produced by Vought International – they’re all Sony Pictures TV productions. When Soldier Boy asks why this is significant, Homelander sarcastically claims it’s where “supers who have lost their relevance go to retire.”

This playfully mocks some of Sony Pictures’ less successful superhero films, like Madame Web and Kraven the Hunter. However, it’s also a bit ironic, considering Sony Pictures Television actually produces The Boys in partnership with Amazon MGM Studios.

14. Ghost Runner 2: Supernatural Speedster

One of the posters references the show Supernatural. The film, titled “Ghost Runner 2: Supernatural Speedster” and starring Mr. Marathon, uses “Supernatural” in its title and has a font that closely resembles the opening title card of the Supernatural TV series.

13. Marathon & Malchemical: Let There Be Rampage

In season 5, episode 5 of The Boys, the superhero movie being mocked is Venom: Let There Be Carnage. The character Mr. Marathon appeared in a film called “Marathon & Malchemical: Let There Be Rampage,” which is a direct parody of the 2021 Venom sequel.

12. “A Film By Ryan Cox”

One of the posters for Mr. Marathon includes the phrase “A film by Ryan Cox.” This is a hidden reference, much like the one for Michaela Starr, because Ryan Cox is part of the team that makes The Boys. He’s a sound technician, and he worked on both seasons of Gen V as well.

11. Celebrity “Starlighters” Rounded Up By Vought

After leaving Mr. Marathon’s movie room, Homelander and Soldier Boy encounter his friends, who are in the middle of a poker game. The group is surprisingly made up of real celebrities – Seth Rogen, Kumail Nanjiani, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and Will Forte – all playing exaggerated versions of themselves. Misha Collins is also there as Malchemical, a Supe previously seen on a poster, which is a fun nod to his role on the show Supernatural.

While playing poker, the celebrities discuss people in the entertainment industry who have been arrested. This connects to earlier events in season 5 of The Boys, where Homelander began controlling the country by labeling anyone who criticized him online – even indirectly – as enemies, called “Starlighters.”

Celebrity “Starlighters” Mentioned By
Aziz Ansari Kumail Nanjiani
Macaulay Culkin Kumail Nanjiani
Joaquin Phoenix Kumail Nanjiani
Kiefer Sutherland Kumail Nanjiani
Meryl Streep Kumail Nanjiani
Benedict Wong Seth Rogen
Benedict Cumberbatch Seth Rogen
Bill Hader Will Forte
Channing Tatum Will Forte
Post Malone Seth Rogen

Many of the celebrities appearing as “Starlighters” are known only by their first names. However, it’s usually pretty clear who these guest stars are meant to be, either because they’re very famous or because they’ve worked with Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg before. For example, Aziz Ansari is good friends with Seth Rogen and has acted in films with both him and Christopher Mintz-Plasse.

Several names come up when people discuss who they’re glad to see go, including Bill Hader. Will Forte jokingly said that the day Bill Hader’s character was ‘killed off’ was the happiest day of his life, a reference to their long history working together on Saturday Night Live.

10. Celebrity Activism

Following their discussion about who among their friends and enemies Vought has captured, the group starts brainstorming ways to help. This quickly devolves into a funny exchange that pokes fun at celebrity activism, both genuine and for show. Nanjiani points out they need to take action, as they tell stories about inspiring figures – people like Luke Skywalker, Katniss Everdeen, and Gandhi – and should act like those characters themselves.

Seth Rogen then jokingly suggests everyone post black squares on Instagram, a nod to the Black Lives Matter protests from 2020. Kumail Nanjiani highlights this, prompting Rogen to propose posting blue squares instead with the caption “Blue Lives Matter” – a parody of the countermovement with the same name. Rogen concludes by saying he’ll ask Lena Dunham, known for her activism, to write an article for The Atlantic.

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2026-04-30 20:52