I love J2

The cat (in this case, the cheetah) is out of the bag, courtesy of Jared Padalecki himself.

The Supernatural alum spilled the beans about his character on The Boys season 5 during an April FACTS convention panel in Belgium. "I can finally say it," he said before confirming for the gathered audience that he's playing Mister Marathon, the original speedster of The Seven before the supe was replaced with A-Train (Jessie T. Usher).

"My reaction is, it's totally fine," Eric Kripke, showrunner of The Boys and Padalecki's former showrunner on Supernatural, tells Entertainment Weekly after the reveal. "We're close enough to the episode. It increases excitement for the episode. Enough people online were talking about it that I'm sure he saw it and he was like, 'Oh okay! It must be out.'"

Padalecki's Mister Marathon will appear alongside Jensen Ackles as Soldier Boy and Misha Collins as a still-unspecific character on episode 5 of The Boys final season for a highly anticipated Supernatural reunion.

Padalecki has been on Kripke's mind for a long time. "I've wanted to get him on the show for years, but he was busy shooting Walker and so our schedules never lined up," he says. "I knew that Walker was ending and so he would have a window that he could shoot. It was more like I walked into this season saying, 'I want more than a cameo for Jared. I want a meaty, fun role that really turns the story.'"

Kripke credits Judalina Neira, a scribe in the season 5 writers' room who pitched Padalecki as Mister Marathon. "I jumped on that," the showrunner adds. "And then it puts him in the mythology of the show in a really fun way. He used to be at Seven Tower, he was in that conference room, he was a part of the lore. So I thought that was perfect. And part of me just loved the idea of him playing a coke-blowing scumbag because he's such a good guy both in real life and in all the roles he plays. I just wanted him to be really sleazy, and he crushed it."

The Boys season 5 is fully into the final battle in the war against Homelander (Antony Starr), who's determined to become a god by tracking down V1, the original and more potent version of Compound V that can potentially make him immortal.

DEADLINE: Soldier Boy is such a fun, wild, off-the-cuff character. I’m curious, what was the wildest line that you had to say this season? 

JENSEN ACKLES: I mean there were a few, and I’m thinking of one now. It hasn’t aired yet but it was basically a story about the Virgin Mary. 

DEADLINE: I’ll keep an eye out for that one. Tell me about the way things develop this season with Homelander, considering the father-son connection, and Soldier Boy suddenly deciding to save him despite finding him incredibly weird.

ACKLES: I believe it shifted something in Soldier Boy a little bit of like, “OK, maybe he’s not a complete waste of space, and maybe there is something salvageable about this relationship.” I don’t think he’s convinced that there is. I think he’s questioning it now, whereas before he was like, “Fuck this guy. I don’t care if he lives or dies. In fact, I hope he dies cause he’s … a disappointment.” And he probably hates him because he’s a reflection of himself. We’ll find more out about that in Vought Rising. But I think that stress against that relationship was softened a bit in final scene in episode four, when we kind of see Homelander walk away from what could have been the end of Soldier Boy. I mean, it was funny as I asked Kripke, I was like, “Would the lasers actually kill Soldier Boy? Would that be something that could happen?” And I never got a full answer on that, but we assume in that moment that Soldier Boy’s like, “Just end it, take me out, I’m done. I’m done with this whole thing.” And the fact that Homelander couldn’t or wouldn’t, I think might have shifted something in his view of their relationship, to give him maybe some motivation of sticking with it a little longer and kind of seeing where this goes. 

DEADLINE: That makes sense. Soldier Boy is teetering on anti-hero this season. I don’t know what you can tease, but is he gonna come through for The Boys at all?

ACKLES: I mean, I don’t know if I can say too much about where he ends up, but I will say that the relationship between him and Homelander is complicated, and the complication doesn’t necessarily go away. So, how they navigate it moving forward is kind of what becomes the interesting thing. 

DEADLINE: This week’s episode was really awesome with of the Supernatural reunion. What was it like reuniting with those guys as these wildly different characters? 

ACKLES: I mean, getting on set with those guys in any capacity is always gonna be familiar. It’s always gonna be something that feels normal and just comfortable. The kind of the odd thing was doing it in a new environment with different costumes, with different crew and different cast, and then kind of adjusting ourselves to that. We didn’t have to adjust ourselves for each other, because we know each other so well, so it was like, “OK, we’ve now found ourselves in a different boat, who’s gonna do what? How are we gonna do this?” And so I think there was a little bit of some minor kind of mental adjustment that was necessary to perform the way we needed to, as opposed to just diving back into old familiar banter. But look, we’re pros and that’s what we do, and we got there, I think. 

DEADLINE: Was it like weirdly meta killing Jared and Misha in that one scene?

ACKLES: What it all boiled down to was like, I’m playing this guy, and I felt comfortable in that suit enough to be able to work with somebody who I had worked with for 15 years, playing a different character. So, I just kind of kept reminding myself to stay true to this particular character, and the suit helps me do that. As soon as I put on that suit on, I’m like, “Well, there’s nobody else I could be in this thing.” And so, it was fun for me to be able to perform like that. With my friends, they got to do their thing along with me while I was doing something totally different. I mean, you gotta keep in mind too, Jared and I, and Misha, we played different versions of ourselves on Supernatural for 15 years. Maybe I’d be possessed by a demon or an angel, or Jared wouldn’t have a soul, or he was playing Lucifer. So, we were already pretty used to playing different versions of different characters with each other for a long time. So, it wasn’t that big of a stretch for us to have to pretend to be somebody other than what we used to, to play together. But when the cameras were off, it was right back to the old banter. 

DEADLINE: And what was it like working with Seth Rogen, Kumail Nanjiani and Christopher Mintz-Plasse for this week’s episode? 

ACKLES: Amazing! All of those guys are just absolute pros. I will say that I was happy when they were doing a lot of their stuff, that I was not on camera, because I was having a hard time keeping a straight face. There was a lot of improv happening. I knew what was written, and then seeing what they were doing to get the point across in a different way—there were a lot of takes where they just let them go. They just let them play and let them say whatever the hell they wanted to, and my god, those guys, their brains work at a different frequency. 

DEADLINE: Nice. That was a funny scene. I know this journey isn’t over for you yet, but what was it like being there for The Boys finale? Was that emotional for you and the cast? 

ACKLES: I mean, it’s gonna be emotional when any show comes to the end of its run. I still stick by it, I’ve always said that I’m a guest in their house, the house that The Boys and the Supes built. I was very fortunate to come in and get to play for two full seasons. So, I always kind of respected my slightly outsider position, and when they came to the end of the run, I was like, “You guys, you’ve been at it for all five seasons and, and it took 8+ years or whatever to do all those seasons. I will happily stand by and applaud you guys for the amazing accomplishment that you built.” I was happy to be just a part of it. 

DEADLINE: Well, I’m really excited for Vought Rising as well, and I’m curious if you can tell me what was it like getting to explore more of Soldier Boy’s origin and step into a different era for the whole Vought universe? 

Collider: What is the craziest thing you’ve said as Soldier Boy? Was it in The Boys, was it in Episode 5 specifically, or was it in Vought Rising?

JENSEN ACKLES: There have been some doozies. There’s one I forgot about that was in Episode 4, and I remember I had a really hard time getting through it. It was, “What’s up with the shaved pussy? What’s the point of going down there if you’re not getting a fat face full of fur?” I tried to get through that line several times, and both Val [Curry] and I could not keep a straight face. It was really tough to get out. There are a bunch from Season 3 that I can’t remember exactly. They write some doozies for Soldier Boy. It’s hard to get through them sometimes.

In Episode 5, in particular, there’s the “Nobody fucks my son but me line,” and then at least he realizes how bad that sounds. What was that like to deliver in the moment?

ACKLES: Well, it was written as just that, and I was like, “I can’t just say that and not actually question what I just said.” Look, they keep writing this stuff, and I just have to figure out a way to play it.

What is your favorite moment in Episode 5?

ACKLES: One of my favorite moments was when Craig Robinson comes out of the bathroom and I just turn and throw him in front of the freight train. It was just so ridiculous. He hadn’t been there the whole time, and then he just comes out of nowhere. He’s like, “Soldier Boy!” And I’m like, “And, you’re dead.” There was a lot of ridiculousness in that sequence, but it was fun to shoot.

How did it feel to grab Misha Collins by the throat and crush it, and then follow that up by knocking Jared Padalecki around a bit?

ACKLES: Misha and Jared and I have gotten to do a lot of physical altercations on screen, so there’s good trust there with each other. That felt normal, doing these kinds of action sequences with both of them. I don’t know if Jared has mentioned this before, but in the exchange that he and I have, he throws a punch and I throw a punch, and then I send him flying. In 15 seasons of Supernatural, we didn’t always fight each other. We were usually fighting together against somebody else, but there were also times when we would have to fight each other. Never once did we ever connect or miss-hit or accidentally hit each other. I clipped him in that sequence. I was like, “How did that happen?”

He and I have talked about it because I threw a punch and actually hit him in the nose in one of the takes. We figured out that he was so comfortable with me that he would get as close in as possible, but the problem was that my suit is restrictive. And so, instead of throwing a normal right punch like I would in normal clothing, I have to really turn my shoulders because I can’t bend my chest. I threw a normal Soldier Boy punch, which he had never been around for, and he didn’t realize that he needed a little extra distance, so I popped him on the nose. But in true Jared fashion, he kept going with it. We had to stop and make sure I didn’t give him a bloody nose, but he was fine.

Have you done anything to make up for it since then?

ACKLES: No, I told him, “You’re welcome.” I think I just said, “Welcome to The Boys. This is what happens.”

Soldier Boy is pretty much the one responsible for taking out the entire guest cast of this episode. What was it like to work with that incredible guest cast? Did you guys get to spend any time together?

ACKLES: We did. There was a lot of just sitting around in the cast chairs and talking while they were setting up stunts, or setting up the goo or the blood or whatever it was. We had a really good time sitting around. You’re talking with A+ comedians and getting to pick their brain. That was a lot of fun for me. But then, getting to watch them work and being off camera, and seeing them improv an entire take, and then improv another entire take that’s completely different, I felt like I had the best seat in the house to a comedy show.

Was there anything that didn’t make it into the episode?

ACKLES: Oh, tons. Just talking about the scene where they’re all sitting around the table, there were probably eight different takes of improvisational dialogue. The sad thing is that you only get to pick one for the show, but I got the benefit of watching all of them and it was amazing.

Soldier Boy also tells Homelander that he’s been with Firecracker, but that he’s done with that. He also seems to make Homelander a bit jealous that they were actually sharing pillow talk. All of that leads to a conversation between Homelander and Firecracker that ends up with Firecracker dead. Do you think Soldier Boy feels responsible for that? Do you think he even cares?

ACKLES: I don’t think he cares. I honestly don’t. Obviously, the Firecracker thing, at first, he was just doing it to make [Homelander] jealous, and it was in spite. I don’t think that there’s any love lost there.

Soldier Boy doesn’t really seem too happy about this Homelander-as-God idea. What do you think most disappoints Soldier Boy when it comes to Homelander? How does he feel about him having this level of power that he has?

ACKLES: There’s probably some anger. There’s maybe a little jealousy. There’s also some disappointment that he thinks that he’s effectively better. There’s an ego shift with Soldier Boy. He says in Season 3, “No one’s the new me.” I think now that Homelander is stepping it up and saying that he’s not just the best superhero, he is a God, Soldier Boy is getting close to just saying, “I’ve had it. You’re beyond help.” We see that.

 didn’t know how you were going to pull this whole Supernatural reunion off, but with everything from the giant portrait of Jared’s face to the movie posters to all the interactions, it was just brilliant.

It’s no surprise that the final season of The Boys leans further into its Supernatural ties. The series is helmed by Supernatural creator Eric Kripke and has featured several stars from the long-running drama, notably Ackles and Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

Collins, known for playing Castiel, recalled emailing Kripke before the season was written, saying: “Just so you know, I think my son’s going to disown me if you don’t put me in at least a cameo somewhere in season five.”

In the comics, Malchemical is a shapeshifting antagonist. The show’s version bears little resemblance, forgoes the supe suit and has the ability to emit deadly gas from his mouth. In episode five, Collins’ character uses that power to knock Homelander unconscious.

Collins called the moment “gratifying,” especially given how difficult Homelander is to disarm.

“He is the most powerful, biggest bad on the series, so it was cool to be able to knock him out with my bad breath,” he said.

With Homelander down, Mr. Marathon and Malchemical try to convince Soldier Boy to help take him out for good. Soldier Boy considers it, agreeing that Homelander is an “asexual weirdo,” but ultimately refuses, because he’s still his son. Then, Soldier Boy grabs Malchemical by the throat and crushes it, killing him instantly.

It’s a relatively tame guest appearance for Collins, given the show’s reputation for outrageous, boundary-pushing scenes.

“There’s so many totally mind-bending and bizarre things that have unfolded for characters in The Boys, and I was relieved to not be stripped naked and mortified in some way or another by Eric Kripke's storytelling,” Collins said.

Still, he wouldn’t have minded a more dramatic death.

“I would’ve written a little bit more of a juicy demise,” Collins quipped.

After Malchemical’s death, the room erupts into chaos and guts. In a bloody sequence, Mr. Marathon, who has the power of super speed, runs through the remaining celebrity guest stars while in pursuit of Soldier Boy.

“I remember thinking, I’m really glad it's not me that's covered in blood for a whole week, because poor Jared had to wear that for hours,” Ackles said in a separate interview.

By the time Mr. Marathon catches up to Soldier Boy, he’s drenched in the blood of the celebrities he killed. As Soldier Boy presses him for information about a supe named Bombsight, who’s in possession of the last known dose of V1, he snaps Mr. Marathon’s ankle. Moments later, Homelander, now conscious, stomps on Mr. Marathon’s face, killing him.

Despite their characters’ grisly ends, Ackles said his Supernatural co-stars were enthusiastic about being part of the show — much like he was when he joined The Boys in season three.

“I was really thrilled to see how excited they got being on set and playing those ridiculous characters and going through a massive sequence as we went through, with blood everywhere and exploding people,” he said. “It’s the height of ridiculousness that we all enjoy with The Boys.”

Collins said that while working together on Supernatural, he, Ackles and Padalecki frequently tried to make each other laugh between takes and engage in pranks and other antics on set. When they reunited for The Boys, the actors were far more restrained.

“I think Jared and I, being guests in someone else’s house, made us show up with a certain degree of decorum that we are collectively unaccustomed to,” Collins said.

“There was definitely a sense of, 'Let’s mind ourselves a bit here, it’s not our house,’” Ackles said. “We had some really heavy hitters there, really talented people. It’s not a show that we started and that we built, so I think there was certainly a sense of, 'Let’s behave ourselves a little bit.’ We still had some fun, but we toned it down because we didn't want to be those guys.”

Although the episode avoids overtly meta references to their Supernatural roots, Collins confirmed that the trio did film an alternate take in character as Sam, Dean and Castiel.

“I am sure that footage will someday see the light of day,” he said.