Before Eric Kripke’s work on The Boys, he served as showrunner on the first five seasons of Supernatural — and there’s plenty of overlap between the two shows’ casts. It’s clear Kripke enjoys working with the same actors again, as a total of 12 Supernatural stars have appeared in his gritty superhero series. And while The Boys doesn’t lean too heavily into its similarities to the prior show, it does occasionally nod to the Winchesters’ story.
The latest example of this is The Boys Season 5’s Supernatural reunion, which brings Jensen Ackles, Jared Padelecki, and Misha Collins together on-screen once more. However, there are also smaller references to Kripke’s former hit scattered throughout The Boys, including the casting of Jim Beaver as Robert Singer (and his use of the word “idjit” in Season 4). Additionally, Kripke’s brought on numerous Supernatural stars, some of whom viewers will recognize more quickly than others. SPOILERS ahead for The Boys Season 5, Episodes 1-5.
Rob Benedict shines as Chuck (or God) in Supernatural, and although his role in The Boys isn’t as nearly as involved, it also leaves a strong impression. He plays the supe Splinter in The Boys Season 4 — a friend of Firecracker’s and a political commentator. His power enables him to replicate himself, but even with that ability, he doesn’t last long when pitted against The Boys team. He meets his end at Butcher’s hands, so it’s a short-lived Supernatural cameo. Still, it shows a totally new side of Benedict’s acting, and it’ll evoke some laughs from those who recognize him as Chuck.
A-Train’s brother, Nathan, is an important part of the supe’s character arc in The Boys, right up until the very end. He’s brought to life by Christian Keyes, who had a brief stint on Supernatural prior to appearing in the Prime Video series. Keyes portrayed the archangel Michael (well, one of his vessels). He served as an antagonist to the Winchesters for several episodes of Supernatural Season 13, venturing from his own alternate universe to take control of the Winchesters’ world. The Boys shows a different side of him, as Nathan serves as a moral compass of sorts for his brother — a far cry from the supernatural threat he embodies in the CW show.
Billy Butcher’s father has a huge impact on his character arc, but we also see his mother, Connie Butcher, in The Boys Season 2, Episode 7 — and she’s played by Supernatural alum Lesley Nichol. She only appears in one episode of the CW show as well, bringing the witch Katja to life in Season 10, Episode 12. Her Supernatural villain is more abrasive than her character in The Boys, as she kidnaps and manipulates people before eating them. As Butcher’s mother, she attempts to make peace between Karl Urban’s character and his father. She’s unsuccessful, but she appears to have a better relationship with Butcher than he does.
Mother’s Milk’s main motivation in The Boys is keeping his wife and daughter safe, and his wife is played by two different actors over the course of the show. The first, who portrays Monique in Season 1, is Alvina August. She’s later recast by Frances Turner, but August is yet another Supernatural alum in the Prime Video series. She appears in just one episode of Supernatural: Season 12, Episode 20. Like Nichol, she plays a witch, but hers isn’t as ill-meaning. In The Boys, she gets a bit more material to work with, as she’s forced to deal with the consequences of M.M.’s involvement with The Boys team.
Adrian Holmes is an actor who’s taken on minor roles in both Supernatural and The Boys. In the CW series, he tackles two different characters, appearing once as a demon in Season 3 and again as James Turner, the son of Missouri Moseley, in Season 13. In The Boys Season 2, he shows up as Dr. Park, a scientist working for Vought. He’s tasked with keeping an eye on Becca and Ryan, but that’s all we really know about him.
Isaiah Adam is another actor who has credits in The Boys and Supernatural, though his roles are small in both TV series. In The Boys, he portrays Lance Corporal Dan Miller, whose only appearance is in the Season 2 premiere. He’s a soldier featured in a video alongside Homelander and Queen Maeve — and understandably, proves a bit less memorable than both. In Supernatural, his character doesn’t actually get a name, but he’s a forensic technician Dean encounters in Season 7.
Like Isaiah Adam’s character, Kai Bradbury’s doesn’t get a specific name in Supernatural Season 13. He’s a clerk, meaning viewers might overlook his brief time on-screen. His part in The Boys isn’t that much bigger, as he’s the younger version of supporting character and only appears in one episode. He plays Kimiko’s brother in Season 1, Episode 6, though Kenji is portrayed by Abraham Lim in the present-day storyline.
After Homelander kills Black Noir at the end of The Boys Season 3, he’s replaced by a new character wearing the suit. And Black Noir 2 is played by Nathan Mitchell, who speaks and has more charisma than his predecessor. (We also see him without the mask far more frequently.) Prior to joining The Seven, the actor had a two-episode stint on Supernatural, where he portrays Kelvin. The angel debuts in Season 12, becoming an ally to Castiel for a time. His Supernatural role isn’t as prominent as his role in The Boys, but both are fairly memorable.
Jim Beaver’s character in The Boys is a fun reference to Supernatural, as he has almost the same name as his Supernatural character’s. Beaver brings Robert Singer, a politician also known as “Dakota Bob” to life in the Prime Video show. His anti-supe agenda doesn’t align with Homelander’s plans, and he’s eventually locked up for video footage planning Victoria Neuman’s assassination at the end of Season 4. In Supernatural, Beaver plays Bobby Singer, whose fate isn’t much happier — though he’s a much more beloved character overall. He’s a family friend to the Winchesters and serves as a father figure of sorts to Sam and Dean. It’s a shame he doesn’t get to interact with their actors in The Boys, though he does nod to his Supernatural character once or twice.
Jensen Ackles proves a highlight of both Supernatural and The Boys, though he plays very different characters in each. In Kripke’s CW series, he’s one of two leads: Dean, the older Winchester brother, well-known for his sarcastic humor and love of pie. Dean is a natural hunter, and he’s fiercely protective of his younger brother. His character in The Boys, Soldier Boy, is far less heroic. Although he shares a similar appreciation for sarcasm, and continues to steal every scene that he’s in, he’s a supe from the original batch of Compound V — and the one whose sperm was used to make Homelander. Ackles will continue to feature prominently in The Boys universe, as his own spinoff is coming out in 2027: Vought Rising.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan plays John Winchester, experienced hunter and Sam and Dean’s father, in Supernatural. It’s an important supporting role, and he takes on a similar part, size-wise, in The Boys Season 4. He shows up as Joe Kessler, one of Butcher’s old buddies from the war. However, The Boys delivers a shocking twist at the end of Season 4 that upends everything we know about Kessler. In both Supernatural and The Boys, Morgan’s character is complicated morally and magnetic in his own way. That’s true of so many of his roles, which makes him well suited for both of these.
Misha Collins, who plays Castiel in Supernatural, appears in The Boys as part of Season 5’s Supernatural reunion. His character is a supe called Malchemical, who releases toxic gas from his mouth. He incapacitates Homelander with it, which isn’t bad for such a short cameo on the show. The bold move does get him killed by Soldier Boy, however, but Collins’ appearance is fun while it lasts. He and Ackles’ characters in Supernatural have a much friendlier bond. In the CW show, Collins portrays the angel Castiel, who becomes a close ally to Sam and Dean. This makes their flipped dynamic in The Boys that much more hilarious.
Jared Padalecki’s highly anticipated debut in The Boys occurs in Season 5, Episode 5. He appears as Mister Marathon, a supe who was formerly in The Seven but kicked off when he stopped being the world’s fastest man — and then replaced by A-Train. Homelander and Soldier Boy seek him out looking for information about V1, but the whole thing turns hilariously bloody, eventually leading to Mister Marathon’s death. It’s certainly not the first time Padalecki’s character has died in a Kripke production, as he plays Supernatural‘s other lead, Sam Winchester. The younger of the two brothers, Sam has plenty of brushes with death in the CW show. Seeing him perish at the hands of Ackles’ character is a whole different ball game though.
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