The hit Prime Video series The Boys is known for turning superhero stories upside down. While many characters come directly from the Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson comic books, the show has also created several original characters that fans now love just as much. One of those is Ashley Barrett, played by Colby Minifie.
Ashley started as a stressed-out Vought assistant and somehow survived to become the CEO, and now the Vice President of the United States in the show’s world. As The Boys Season 5 airs its final episodes, Minifie is opening up about what it means to play a character who never existed in the source material.
Colby Minifie on Playing a Non-Comic Character in The Boys
Most of the main cast like Billy Butcher (Karl Urban), Homelander (Antony Starr), and Hughie Campbell (Jack Quaid) came straight from the comics. But characters like Ashley, Sister Sage (Susan Heyward), and Firecracker (Valorie Curry) were made just for the TV show. That brings a special kind of pressure.
When asked if playing an original character felt freeing, Minifie gave a clear answer.
“[It’s] freeing for me, too. Yeah, I think the fans are so wonderful and such avid fans that they want to see their image of somebody in the live-action version of the comic book, and I think that the fans are so excited that this show is happening at all and that we’ve done a really good job of making it our own, that they’re down for what we’ve done. But I’m just so grateful that the fans have included me in this world.”
The actress explained that fans of the comic books often have strong ideas about how characters should look and act. For actors playing original roles, there is no blueprint to follow. They have to build everything from zero. But Minifie feels thankful that viewers accepted Ashley as part of The Boys universe.
Ashley Barrett’s Journey From Assistant to Supe
Ashley has come a long way since season one. She began as Madelyn Stillwell‘s assistant, always running around and trying to keep everyone happy. After Homelander killed Stillwell, Ashley got promoted to Senior Vice President of Hero Management. But that was really just a fancy title. Homelander was the one calling all the shots.
Over time, Ashley climbed higher. She became the CEO of Vought International, but even then, she had no real power. She was just a face Homelander kept around because she did what she was told. The stress of the job got so bad that Ashley started pulling out her own hair. She has worn wigs for several seasons to hide the damage.
At the end of season four, things got even crazier. Ashley heard The Deep and Black Noir II talking about killing Vought employees who knew too much. Scared for her life, she broke into Homelander‘s apartment and injected herself with a vial of Compound V. The last shot of the season showed her screaming on the floor as her body started changing.
Now in season five, Ashley is a Supe. She has also moved up again. Trailers show her working at the White House, possibly as the press secretary for President Calhoun. Homelander basically runs the government now, and Ashley is his public voice.
What to Expect From Ashley’s New Powers
Minifie has talked about Ashley’s new abilities in several interviews. She cannot give away exact details yet, but she has dropped some interesting hints.
“I can say that her power is perfect for her. I know it has to be humiliating, and I know it has to be disgusting. Those are the two requirements in the world of The Boys.”
The actress said she pitched several ideas to the show’s writers. All of them were designed to be embarrassing for Ashley. One idea involved hair. Since Ashley is known for wearing wigs because she pulled out her own hair, a hair-related power would be a cruel joke.
“She pops her arm up and her armpit hair grows really fast and lassos people. I was thinking something hair-related would be really funny because of her baldness. But that might be too on the nose.”
Minifie also told Entertainment Tonight that she is grateful Ashley even gets powers at all. She said the show’s creators found something that fits the character perfectly, even if it is not glamorous.
In another interview with Omelete, Minifie talked about the physical side of playing Ashley this season.
“She has powers now. I can’t say what they are, but I got to use my body. It’s a body party! I haven’t used my body throughout the whole series… the most physical I ever got was running down a long tile hallway in high heels. She is great at that. So yes, it is more physical.”
Will Ashley Finally Stand Up to Homelander
For four seasons, Ashley has lived in fear of Homelander. She has done terrible things to keep her job and stay alive. In season four, she had a chance to leave with A-Train (Jessie T. Usher), but she chose to stay because she was too scared of the unknown.
Minifie explained that Ashley is still dealing with that choice in season five.
“I do think she’s constantly in a state of fight or flight, but I also think she’s made a choice at this point to be there. There’s a scene in season four with A-Train where he says, let’s leave together, and she chooses to stay, because it’s the devil she knows. So, not only did she choose to stay, she chose to inject V. She’s now in a different position. I do think there is some kind of, I don’t know, horrible feeling that comes with that choice. And I think this season is really about actually finding courage.”
The actress believes courage is an underrated quality. For Ashley to finally stand up to the person she has feared for years would take a huge amount of bravery. Whether she actually does it or not is something fans will have to watch to find out.
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Release Info for The Boys Season 5
The Boys Season 5 premiered on April 8, 2026, only on Prime Video. The final season has eight episodes. The first two episodes dropped on the premiere date, and new episodes come out weekly.
Here is the release schedule:
- Episode 3: April 15, 2026
- Episode 4: April 22, 2026
- Episode 5: April 29, 2026
- Episode 6: May 6, 2026
- Episode 7: May 13, 2026
- Episode 8 (Series Finale): May 20, 2026
For viewers in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and India, new episodes arrive at the same time globally. The typical release time is 12:00 a.m. GMT / 7:00 p.m. ET (previous day) / 4:00 p.m. PT (previous day).
All previous seasons of The Boys and the spin-off series Gen V are also streaming on Prime Video.
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