Did you happen to pick up on that recognizable voice cameo in the latest episode of The Boys? It’s the kind of A-list voice you can’t miss, and if you’re like me, you might have gotten a little excited to hear it. Samuel L. Jackson has a long and storied career in Hollywood, whether he’s playing a menacing hitman or battling mother**king snakes on a mother**king plane.
With plenty of time spent in the MCU and other titles like Unbreakable​​​​​, he’s no stranger to superhero franchises. As one of the highest-grossing actors of all time, it’s only right that he should join the series that built its name on satirizing the blockbuster, and this role adds another notch to his ever-growing franchise belt, even if it was just a cameo and didn’t involve any screen time.
Warning: Includes SPOILERS for Season 5, Episode 7 of ‘The Boys’
Who Samuel L. Jackson Voices in ‘The Boys’
In the penultimate episode of the season, The Deep is sulking after getting the horrible news from Homelander (Antony Starr) that he is disbanding The Seven. Deep’s life is spared, given his unwavering loyalty, but he has nowhere to go, nothing to do, and no purpose left. He could retreat to the open seas, his true home, only he’s not welcome there either, and Jackson’s hammerhead shark character Xander is the one to tell him, and remind him why.
Earlier in the season, Deep was forced to speak publicly in favor of an underwater Vought pipeline project, swearing it would be safe for aquatic life even though he knew full well that it came with massive risks and threatened the lives of his friends. When Black Noir (Nathan Mitchell) sabotaged the pipeline, resulting in the death of billions of fish, Deep killed his supposed friend in retaliation, but that doesn’t mean he was forgiven. He still went against his kind and backed a project without a second thought for the lives and safety of his aquatic pals.
Xander delivers the “you’re not welcome” message in as stern a voice as you’d expect from Jackson, given his reputation for playing terrifying characters, warning the aquatic Supe that he’s no longer one of them, and no longer welcome in the water. “The water is f**king off limits,” he tells The Deep, calling him a “b**tch ass” for good measure because, of course, a voice cameo from Jackson would not be complete without a series of expletives.
The Fitting ‘The Boys’ Character Continues a Superhero Trend
Xander might not be human, and it’s only a voice role, but it fits with Jackson’s acting persona. The A-lister often plays intimidating figures of authority, or conversely, those operating on the wrong side of the law. His role is also yet another to add to his growing superhero franchise list. In that space, Jackson is most known for his role as Nick Fury in several Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films, a role he also reprised for the series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Many other celebrities have made in-person cameos on the show, including Charlize Theron (playing Stormfront in a Vought movie in Season 3), Josh Gad and others (in an “Imagine” spoof video in Season 4), Seth Rogen in Seasons 4 and 5, and the poker game group this season that marked a Supernatural reunion and featured other notable comedians.
But Jackson joins another big celebrity who made a significant and surprising voice cameo appearance, which, coincidentally, also involved a storyline with The Deep. In Season 4, Tilda Swinton played his octopus lover Ambrosius, who Deep hid in an aquarium in his closet. Ambrosius had a pretty significant role, offering both sexual pleasure and wise words as Deep struggled with his love for the sea creature, his obligations to his wife, his reputation, and the embarrassment he felt about their relationship.
In fact, it was this role that inspired show creator Eric Kripke to tap Jackson to voice Xander. “Wouldn’t it be hilarious if every time we hear from an ocean animal, it’s just the biggest possible, classiest actor we can possibly find, like Tilda?” He tells Entertainment Weekly. He adds that it’s not too challenging to get these A-listers to agree, since all that’s really needed is an hour or two in a recording booth, and they can do it remotely.
As luck would have it, Jackson happened to be a fan of the show and was happy to oblige. He recorded the short scene from a studio booth in New York, solidifying his position in yet another superhero franchise with just a few words of dialogue and no on-screen time. For Kripke, having Jackson on board was a “bucket list” item. “I think it makes the scene just so funny because The Deep is getting told off and Sam Jackson’s very, very good at that.”
He’s right. If you want a character to ream someone out and make them terrified to come anywhere close to your territory, Jackson is the one to do that. Hammerhead shark or goldfish, The Deep would have been scared either way by that menacing voice. It’s safe to say that as long as Xander the hammerhead shark is around, there won’t be any mother**king Supes in the mother**king water.
