Spoilers follow for The Boys season 3 episode 1. You have been warned.
Eric Kripke has revealed how he reacted to The Boys season 3 and Doctor Strange 2 containing the same wild cameo appearance.
Speaking exclusively to TechRadar before the launch of the hit Prime Video show's latest season, The Boys showrunner explained how he "clasped his hands with glee" after realizing that the latest Marvel movie chose the same actor to play a superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
We're about to dive into full spoiler territory for The Boys season 3's premiere. If you haven't watch episode 1 yet, don't read past the image below.
The Boys season 3's first episode opens with the red carpet premiere for Dawn of the Seven, a Vought International-developed movie that parodies superhero team up films like Zack Snyder's Justice League and The Avengers. The spoof superhero flick is based around the events of the season 2 finale, where various members of The Boys and The Seven teamed up to defeat the right-wing Supe known as Stormfront.
As this is a Vought-produced film, however, the narrative has been rewritten so audiences think that it was The Seven that saved the day. That means putting Homelander front and center as he tries to persuade Stormfront to stop waging her war on the world – in the movie, that is – before the rest of The Seven turn up to help him defeat her.
So, who is the actor hired to play Stormfront in Dawn of the Seven? None other than Charlize Theron, who also recently made a shock cameo appearance as Clea – another Master of the Mystic Arts in the MCU – in Doctor Strange 2. To find out more about how Theron's Clea will impact the MCU moving forward, be sure to check out our ending explainer on the Marvel Phase 4 project.
Given the amount of information that leaks out about Marvel Studios productions these days, it's surprising that Theron's cameo in The Boys' third outing didn't suffer a similar fate. How did the show's cast and crew, then, keep her appearance in The Boys under wraps? And why was Kripke pleased to see Theron in Doctor Strange 2, even if it meant that Marvel beat Amazon to the punch in casting her for a superhero project?
"It's a very careful and elaborate process of maintaining embargoes and NDAs," he explained. "We just work in partnership with everyone – the cast, crew, you guys [journalists] – to help maintain those secrets for our audience.
"Regarding Doctor Strange 2, I just saw it with my son last week [before May 20, when The Boys season 3 junket took place] and I clasped my hands in glee when I saw Charlize in the film. It made it an infinitely more perfect cameo because they're Marvel, they had the same idea and used her in the exact same way. That's delightful."
Elaborating on how Charlize Theron became involved in The Boys, Kripke humorously added: "For every cameo we have in the show, it's the rigorous process of whoever returned [executive producer] Seth Rogen's phone calls."
There are plenty of other surprises to come for fans of The Boys TV show in season 3, too. We won't spoil any of those either, but what we can offer you is more behind-the-scenes access surrounding the Prime Video series.
Check out our in-depth chat with Kripke and the show's cast about all things season 3, or find out how one of the series' actors reacted when he first found out about The Boys' Herogasm storyline. Alternatively, find out which iconic DC superhero Kripke wants to parody next in the show, or learn about which other season 3 scene he's most excited for fans to see.
The Boys season 3's first three episodes are available to stream now on Prime Video. Subsequent episodes will release weekly until July 8.
- Want to read a spoiler-free review of The Boys season 3? We've got you covered
