The Boys Teased Homelander’s Achilles’ Heel — Then Dropped It

Alright, spoilers ahead for The Boys Season 5, Episodes 1 and 2—so if you want to go in fresh, you’ve been warned.

Let’s talk about what’s missing so far this season—not who, but what. Specifically: the giant Chekhov’s Gun that is Marie Moreau from Gen V, and why she’s nowhere to be seen just when Homelander seems most unstoppable. If you’re a completionist with both series, the gaps are obvious and, honestly, a little weird.

The Spin-Off Set-Up The Boys Ignored (For Now)

Back in Gen V, that college-for-Supes show that somehow manages to be even more chaotic than The Boys itself, we learned a few things. Most importantly, blood-bending heroine Marie Moreau found out she’s not just another super-powered kid: she’s pretty much Homelander’s science-experiment sibling. Both she and Homelander are the sole survivors of Vought’s ‘Project Odessa’, and yes, that’s as ominous as it sounds.

In Gen V Season 2, right after the events of The Boys Season 4, Annie aka Starlight drops in for a crossover. She basically begs Marie to help look into Project Odessa—so there’s a setup, right? Marie discovers just how powerful she can be, takes down Thomas Godolkin (the evil genius behind the school and the project), and ends up talking strategy with Annie and A-Train.

Logically, it seems like the shows are building toward a collision—you expect Marie to pop up in The Boys’ final run, especially since she’s one of the only people on the planet who could level the playing field against Homelander.

So, Where Is She?

Yet, here we are: The Boys Season 5 starts, Homelander’s in dictator mode, and… absolutely no sign of Marie. The only acknowledgment is Annie hand-waving that the kids ‘have had a few wins, but not enough’. That’s it. For someone set up as a potential game-changer, that’s a pretty big brush-off.

Remember, Season 2 of Gen V ended with Marie and her friends meeting Annie and A-Train to plot next moves. If the goal is to take down Homelander, why bench your MVP at the start of the biggest game? It’s not like The Boys haven’t been desperate before.

The best in-universe excuse is that Marie and co. are fighting their own battles elsewhere, possibly avoiding the deadly Supe virus floating around (thanks, Butcher). Annie could be keeping them on ice until it’s safe, or maybe the kids figure Annie’s got it under control for now. But none of that’s clearly explained, which is a choice.

The Trailer Says 'Soon,' Not 'Never'

Here’s the thing: if you watched the trailer for The Boys Season 5, you did see Marie and Jordan (the other big-deal Gen V character) with Annie. Annie’s warning them that they all ‘need to run while we can, however we can’. To me, that screams that Marie’s coming back into the fold before too long.

Honestly, with Marie now able to literally bring people back from the dead (kind of a useful skill in a story where dying happens a lot), I’d find it kind of ridiculous not to bring her into the big fight, especially against someone like Homelander. I’m betting her showdown with him is still coming—and hopefully not just as a glorified cameo.

Why Marie Actually Matters

Gen V spent a whole second season establishing that Marie is kind of a big deal: she’s not just powerful, she’s directly tied to Homelander and Annie. In other words, she’s not just some random kid; she’s the one person who could gut-punch Homelander emotionally and physically. Not including her feels like stacking the deck with B-listers while the world champ’s in the ring.

Yes, there’s an argument that casual The Boys fans who skipped Gen V might get lost if Marie suddenly becomes crucial. If she shows up out of nowhere, some viewers will be asking, ‘Wait, who is this and why is she getting all the screen time?’ The writers are clearly threading a needle between universe-building and not confusing people who just want to see what Homelander and Butcher do next. But for anyone following both shows, the logical thing would be to let Marie meet Homelander face-to-face—and finally use the fact that they’re science siblings.

‘Have had a few wins, but not enough.’ — Annie, with the kind of throwaway line that makes genre fans gnash their teeth

The one time Marie and Homelander met, Marie was terrified and Homelander made sure she got locked up. But back then she didn’t realize how powerful she really was. If (or when) Marie faces off with Homelander now that the gloves are off, that’s a twist this show has earned. Plus, seeing Homelander realize he’s not the only survivor of Vought’s experiment would be gold.

The Wild Card: Will They Save This For The Finale?

• Marie and her friends are missing from Season 5’s opening episodes, but the trailer hints at their return.
• Gen V’s future is still up in the air, and it probably hinges on where The Boys finale leaves things.
• Marie is the obvious ace-in-the-hole against Homelander, and her power-set is exactly what you want when the world’s ending.
• But making her a big deal in the main series risks confusing fans who haven’t watched Gen V.
• If she does actually take down Homelander, that’s more a springboard for a third Gen V season than a proper curtain call for The Boys.

I get why they might be stalling: maybe Marie’s destined for one big, dramatic third-act entrance, or maybe Amazon is just waiting to announce Gen V Season 3 until The Boys' send-off. Until then, fans will keep asking why the show’s most logical trump card is sitting on the bench. Just don’t be shocked if, by the time this is all over, Marie walks off with Homelander’s crown (or what’s left of it).