The Boys Cast Splits on Series Finale as Jensen Ackles Breaks Ranks

So, The Boys went out with a boom and then, kind of shockingly, sent a bunch of its survivors off with something close to a happy ending. That combo was always going to light up the internet, and it did. Some viewers called the finale rushed, others were into it, and the cast mostly seemed good with how it wrapped — with one very vocal exception.

What the cast actually said about the ending

At the Los Angeles premiere, The Hollywood Reporter asked the cast if they were satisfied with how it all ended (they posted the clip on May 20, 2026 ). Here’s the quick rundown:

• Jensen Ackles (Soldier Boy): Not satisfied — but not because of the story, because it ended. He wanted more seasons. He is, however, back as Soldier Boy in the spin-off Vought Rising.
• Erin Moriarty (Annie/Starlight): Satisfied for what she called "selfish reasons," which tracks given Annie’s long-awaited happy turn in the finale.
• Tomer Capone (Frenchie): Despite Frenchie’s brutal death this season, he still called the finale exciting and said they delivered a ride.
• Colby Minifie (Ashley): Into it. Ashley finally picks a side in season 5, episode 8, and Minifie felt both her arc and the overall ending tied up the loose ends.
• Laz Alonso (Mother ’s Milk): Happy with it, specifically because the show got to end on its own terms.
• Cameron Crovetti (Ryan): Very satisfied; he read the script and flipped in the good way.
• Susan Heyward (Sister Sage): Grateful for how it wrapped.

Jensen Ackles: "No, because it's ending. But I want more, I want season six and seven and eight."

That’s the most relatable reaction of the bunch, honestly — the guy is literally sticking around for Vought Rising and still wanted more The Boys.

The audience reaction wasn’t as rosy

The finale was never going to dodge controversy after the early season 5 chatter, and it didn’t. Complaints about the last episode being rushed popped up fast, and the numbers aren’t subtle: episode 7 is the season’s lowest-rated on IMDb with a 6.3, and the finale sits at 6.7. So even with that sunnier-than-expected closing note for the survivors, plenty of fans weren’t thrilled with how we got there.

Kripke felt the pressure — and leaned into closing character arcs

Showrunner Eric Kripke was open about just how stressful it was to land this plane. He said the ending could shape the show’s entire legacy, and he really didn’t want to repeat the mistakes that sink other finales. The plan from the jump, according to him, was to make sure the characters got endings that actually fit them — backlash or not.

Eric Kripke to The River: "I approached it with absolute terror ... I was not confident ... because people do a weird thing where they retroactively judge a show based on the finale."

Bottom line: the cast (mostly) feels like they stuck the landing, the showrunner knew he was threading a needle, and the fans are split. Which, for a series that specialized in chaos, kind of tracks.