Queen Maeve did not appear in The Boys Season 5 because actress Dominique McElligott declined to return, having mostly retired from acting and being busy with other commitments, showrunner Eric Kripke said in May 2026 [1, 2]. Kripke revealed he discussed the possibility of a cameo with McElligott over email. "I asked her if she’d be open to coming back for a day, and it was very pleasant and respectful, but she said, ‘I’ve kind of retired from acting. [I’m not] really acting anymore, and I’m busy those dates anyway,’" he said [2].
Kripke noted they still keep in touch, exchanging emails every six to eight months. "Dom and I email a couple of times every six to eight months or so, and she checked in on me after the Palisades fires," he said [1].
Queen Maeve was last seen in The Boys Season 3 finale in July 2022, where her character sacrificed her powers to stop Soldier Boy [1, 2]. Despite McElligott's absence, Kripke honored Queen Maeve in the series finale of Season 5, which aired June 19, 2026 [1]. The finale included recap clips of Maeve and referenced her passing the torch to newer characters like Annie and Marie. "We wanted to pay homage to her; she’s an important character, and so she shows up in the recap and in a way to show that Maeve passed the torch to Annie, and now Annie is passing the torch to Marie, and that there’s this lineage of strong women that started with Maeve," Kripke said [2].
The Boys series officially ended with Season 5, Episode 8 in June 2026 [1]. The story will continue with a prequel spinoff called Vought Rising, set in the 1950s [1].
