The Boys Showrunner Finally Reveals the One Marvel and DC Rule Guiding All 5 Seasons

If you’ve been binging The Boys and wondering why not one character has ever cracked a joke about Iron Man or called someone a ‘Batman wannabe,’ there’s a reason for that—and it’s got nothing to do with subtlety. Showrunner Eric Kripke just spilled the beans about one simple, weirdly strict rule that’s been consistent through every season of the show.

The Marvel/DC Blackout: Not Even a Hint

So here’s the scoop: Even though The Boys loves poking fun at superheroes in the most uncomfortable ways possible, Marvel and DC are totally off-limits in this universe. The writers’ room has a big, bold rule—no references, no jokes, don’t even try to wink at Marvel or DC. Kripke says it’s the only real ‘hard and fast rule’ the show has, and no, they’re not making an exception just because dead-eyed Homelander would make a killer Deadpool gag.

Keeping Things "Real"... Sort Of

In Kripke’s words, the point of the show’s universe is to feel as much like the real world as possible—“It’s as absolutely real as possible,” he says, “It just happens to have superheroes in it, which f**ks it all up, obviously.” So there’s no sly nods to Gotham, no Stark Industries billboards on a subway, and definitely no superhero movie posters in the background, because in The Boys world, there’s only Vought and its brand of heroes.

Pop Culture Without the Obvious Targets

Here’s where things get a little awkward for the writers: Modern pop culture references are absolutely everywhere, but if almost every other pop culture joke is about a Marvel or DC character, what are you supposed to do? Kripke admits it gets 'tricky,' especially when Superman is the go-to shorthand for “guy in a cape” in pretty much every context. But, rules are rules—no mentioning Superman, no matter how much it would help get a laugh or make a point. Other pop culture targets, though? Fair game.

"The only real hard and fast rule in the show are you’re not allowed to reference Marvel or DC... Sometimes it gets tricky because you’re making so many pop culture references and so many pop culture references these days are about Superman, for example. But you’re not allowed to do that. But outside of that, we’ll use every reference we can get our hands on."

What’s Next for The Boys?

Anyway, the timing of Kripke’s comments is interesting, since The Boys is about to launch its fifth—and final—season. Here’s what you need to know if you’re planning your watch parties:

• The first three episodes of Season 5 drop on April 8.
• After that, new episodes arrive every week—same place on Prime Video.
• Don’t bother hunting for a Marvel or DC Easter egg; they literally don’t exist in this world.

And there you have it. The Boys has no Marvel or DC references—not by accident, but by design. If that’s not the most stubborn story choice to commit to for five seasons, I don’t know what is.