Eric Kripke Shares the Story Behind Samuel L. Jackson’s Cameo in ‘The Boys’ – A Dream Come True
SPOILERS: This article contains details about The Boys Season 5 episode titled ‘The Frenchman, the Female, and the Man Called Mother’s Milk.’
As The Boys approaches its finale, fans were treated to a surprising celebrity cameo in the penultimate episode. Eric Kripke, the series creator, confirmed that Samuel L. Jackson lent his voice to The Deep’s hammerhead shark companion, Xander. This moment left viewers doing a double take.
The final episode of the Prime Video series is set to premiere on May 19 in 4DX theaters, with streaming available the following day. In a recent interview, Kripke explained how Jackson became involved with the show. “A lot of the cameos we bring into the show are because Seth Rogen or [executive producer] Evan Goldberg have a relationship with them and can make a call,” he told Polygon. “I lean on them a lot for that stuff.”
Xander made his debut in the season’s premiere, ‘Fifteen Inches of Sheer Dynamite,’ where he aided The Deep in pursuing A-Train, played by Jessie T. Usher. In the latest episode, Xander returns with a vengeance, confronting The Deep over his role in an environmental disaster that devastated ocean life.
Kripke shared his thoughts on casting Jackson: “We wanted a really distinct voice and who has a more distinct voice in Hollywood than Sam Jackson? So we just went to his agent. He was our first choice, and we were like, ‘Does he want to do this?’ It was really just taking a flyer. But then it came back, Oh yeah, he likes the show and totally, he’ll do it. Boy, that’s a bucket list moment, man, of Sam Jackson reading your dialogue.”
Xander is not the first notable voice to feature in The Boys. Tilda Swinton previously voiced The Deep’s octopus lover, Ambrosius, in Season 4, adding another layer of celebrity presence to the show.
