Why Dominique McElligott's Queen Maeve Didn't Return In The Boys Season 5
As far as series finales go, "The Boys" went out of its way to give each of its characters a proper ending, happy or otherwise. That said, there are several story points that showrunner Eric Kripke wishes he could have worked into the final hour, including a cameo from former Seven member Queen Maeve (Dominique McElligott).
"I would have loved to have had Maeve," Kripke tells Gold Derby. "I was in conversation with Dom. We still email once in a while. She's mostly retired from acting, and her schedule didn't work out. It was all a very friendly, non-controversial thing. I was like, 'If we wrote it, would you do it?' And she's like, 'I'm kind of out of it, and I'm busy, and unfortunately I can't, but send everyone my love.' That was sort of it."
While it would have been nice to check in with Maeve after Homelander's defeat, we can certainly understand why the character wouldn't have returned sooner. McElligott's final episode of "The Boys" was its Season 3 finale, during which Maeve sacrificed her powers to take down Soldier Boy. She then faked her death, choosing to embrace an off-the-grid existence with her girlfriend Elena (Nicola Correia-Damude). There may have been a time when Maeve could hold her own against Homelander, but showing her face around him now would have been a suicide mission.
The Boys series finale pays tribute to Maeve
But even though Maeve wasn't physically present in the series finale, "The Boys" still worked in a nod to her contributions. During a conversation with Marie, Annie reflected on everything she learned from Maeve when she first joined the Seven.
"Never meet your heroes," Annie told the younger Supe. "She was bitter, she was checked out. She gave away so many parts of herself, there was nothing left. ... I swore to myself I would never let that happen to me, but it did." (Hey, at least it all worked out for Maeve in the end, right?)
Were you hoping to see Maeve in the series finale, or are you satisfied with the closure we got at the end of Season 3? And what did you think of the episode overall? Cast your vote in the poll below, then drop a comment with your thoughts.