Eric Kripke, the showrunner of the hit series The Boys, has revealed why Dominique McElligott, who played Queen Maeve, did not appear in the show's finale. The actor, now 40, told Kripke she has retired from acting.
McElligott's character was a central figure in the first three seasons, surviving an explosion and faking her death to escape the corrupt superhero conglomerate Vought. Her absence from later episodes sparked speculation, but Kripke explained the reason in an interview with TV Insider.
“Dom and I email a couple of times every six to eight months or so,” said Kripke. He asked her early on if she would be open to returning for a day, but she replied, “I've kind of retired from acting. I'm not really acting anymore, and I'm busy those dates anyway.”
Kripke emphasised that the exchange was amicable. “It was a very pleasant, non-controversial moment,” he said. McElligott did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Independent.
Although she did not appear in person, the finale paid homage to Queen Maeve through recap clips and references. Kripke noted that they wanted to show Maeve passing the torch to Starlight, and Starlight to Marie, creating a lineage of strong women. McElligott's most recent acting credit remains The Boys.
