Eric Kripke Talks Samuel L. Jackson’s Wild THE BOYS Cameo: “That’s a Bucket List Moment”
With only two episodes of The Boys left before the finale crashes onto Prime Video, the series managed to sneak in one more surprise that had fans rewinding scenes just to make sure they heard it right.
That unmistakable voice coming out of Xander the hammerhead shark belonged to none other than Samuel L. Jackson.
The shark returned in the latest episode, “The Frenchman, the Female, and the Man Called Mother’s Milk,” where he confronted The Deep after the Supe’s disastrous actions helped devastate ocean life through a pipeline project.
It was a bizarre, hilarious, and totally fitting moment for The Boys, which has always thrived on chaos.
Series creator Eric Kripke recently opened up to Polygon about how the cameo actually came together, and it sounds like the production team took a shot in the dark that paid off in a huge way.
“A lot of the cameos we bring into the show are because Seth Rogen or [executive producer] Evan Goldberg have a relationship with them and can make a call. I lean on them a lot for that stuff.”
Xander first showed up earlier this season in the premiere episode “Fifteen Inches of Sheer Dynamite,” helping ferry The Deep around while he hunted A-Train. But for the character’s bigger return, Kripke wanted a voice audiences would recognize instantly.
“We wanted a really distinct voice and who has a more distinct voice in Hollywood than Sam Jackson? So we just went to his agent. He was our first choice, and we were like, ‘Does he want to do this?’
“It was really just taking a flyer. But then it came back, Oh yeah, he likes the show and totally, he’ll do it. Boy, that’s a bucket list moment, man, of Sam Jackson reading your dialogue.”
Honestly, it’s hard to imagine a more perfect casting choice for a foul-mouthed hammerhead shark living in the wonderfully messed-up world of The Boys. Jackson’s voice instantly gives Xander this larger-than-life personality that makes the whole thing even funnier and more intimidating at the same time.
Of course, The Boys has developed a pretty great track record when it comes to unexpected celebrity voices. Last season featured Tilda Swinton as Ambrosius, The Deep’s octopus lover, which still feels like a fever dream in the best possible way.
Now fans are heading into the final episodes wondering what other insanity Kripke and company still have tucked away before the season wraps up.