- Primary Subject: Erik Kripke's "No Marvel/DC" Rule
- Key Update: Showrunner Erik Kripke revealed a "hard and fast" rule for the final season of The Boys: characters are strictly forbidden from referencing Marvel or DC to maintain the illusion that Vought is the world's only superhero brand.
- Status: The Boys season 5 (final season) premieres on April 8, 2026
- Last Verified: April 2, 2026
- Quick Answer: Kripke's rule bans Marvel/DC mentions to ensure Vought feels like the world's sole supe-monopoly, preventing the satire from becoming redundant by acknowledging its real-world inspirations.
As The Boys prepares for its fifth and final season on Amazon Prime, showrunner Erik Kripke has doubled down on the creative "iron curtain" that separates his universe from its rivals. Here's why the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Universe are not considered canon franchises or superheroes in The Boys universe.
Erik Kripke Reveals Their Rule for Marvel & DC in The Boys Universe
The Boys showrunner Erik Kripke only has one rule while filming the final season of the series.
When asked where the canon of the franchise begins and where the canon of the real world ends, the showrunner explained that they would really stay in their own story and universe as much as possible to avoid making any confusion.
"It's as absolutely real as possible is the answer," Kripke told ScreenRant in a recent interview, "We really try to say it's absolutely our world in every way we can, but it just happens to have superheroes in it, which [fricks] it all up, obviously."
"The only real hard and fast rule in the show is that you're not allowed to reference Marvel or DC," The Supernatural creator added, "There's no other superheroes in the world besides the Vought brand. So, no Marvel movies."
However, Kripke did acknowledge that "sometimes it gets tricky because you're making so many pop culture references and so many pop culture references these days are about Superman, for example." Which is what they're "not allowed to do."
So, this pretty much sums up any potential connection between the franchises' universes.
How The Boys Created Their Own Universe Without Clashing with Rival Franchises
The Boys universe is not the only superhero-centered story on TV that would struggle to veer away from the MCU and the DCU. Invincible had its own take on the comic book genre, and they've surely run their own course just fine.
Apart from the heavily adult themes, which The Boys has touched upon when it comes to formulaic superheroes and the politics behind Vought and its release of heroes, the series certainly doesn't feel like a world where Marvel and DC heroes could reside.
By removing the existence of the MCU or DCU, the series shifts from being a mere parody to a chilling reflection of our own world, where corporate monopolies like Vought control the narrative.
Meanwhile, the first two episodes of The Boys season 5 land on April 8, 2026, on Amazon Prime Video.
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