The Boys Fans Are Convinced 1 Hero’s Death in S5 Was Just Confirmed (& It Continues a Comic Book Trend)

The 5th and final season of The Boys, which picks up after the season 2 finale of Gen V, where Marie, Kate, Jordan and the rest of the group officially joining A-Train and Starlight to stick it to Homelander, is almost upon us, and fans definitely aren’t quite ready for the R-rated superhero series to come to an end—especially after series star Karl Urban said that no one was safe regarding the fates of fan-favorite characters.

Speaking with Variety, Karl Urban, who plays Billy Butcher, teased that no one was safe—leaving fans wondering if The Boys was about to fall prey to a comic trend that no one actually enjoys. “Every season, but particularly this season, from Episode 1, you’re like, ‘Oh wow!’ Nobody is safe. Fatalities right from the get-go. Let’s go! Last season! It’s all on!” the actor said. And the trope that has fans worried? Killing off the series’ speedster before the actual big battle begins—a possibility made even more likely by the lack of A-Train in the Season 5 trailer.

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Would It Be Worth Overusing the Trope?

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It’s a trope for a reason, and it’s one that comic book adaptations have been jumping on for decades at this point. Audiences have seen it time and again, with characters like Marvel’s Quicksilver in Avengers: Age of Ultron, as well as Red Rush from Guardians of the Globe. When faced with A-Train’s potential demise, one fan said, “Respect to A-Train for finally making the anti-heel-turn into a good guy. I’ve found his arc one of the more fascinating. So many of the other ‘bad guys’ just keep finding ways to stay bad. He’s made the most change of anyone on the show.” Another simply added, “Bruh A-Train has less scenes in the trailer, feels like he might be cooked early.”

Fans have also started speculating on how, exactly, A-Train might meet his likely fate. “Saves them in the camp, dies in the process. Seems almost TOO obvious, but I’d imagine that’s how it’ll go regardless,” said one. In response to Urban’s Variety interview, another added, “They already said there were going to be major character deaths starting from the first episode, and I feel he’s going to be one of them.”

Tropes do work, and for a reason. But when they become so predictable that you can set your watch to them, or fall down a Reddit rabbit hole full of them, then it might just be lazy storytelling.

What are your thoughts on A-Train potentially being killed off early in the season? Let us know in the comments. And don’t forget to check out the ComicBook forum to keep the conversation going with other fans.