Jesse T. Usher and Susan Heyward are breaking down the inner workings of their characters, A-Train and Sister Sage, in this fourth season of Prime Video’s The Boys.

The actors spoke to Blavity/Shadow and Act Managing Editor Trey Mangum at the 2024 Essence Fest. about how they have approached their characters’ thought processes. While A-Train has always seemed to question his role within The Seven and appeared to have regrets, this reaches a new peak this season and he decides to change course.

“I think all of this sort of started with A-Train when, when his brother got hurt. After that happened and he made the decision that he was going to seek revenge out on Blue Hawk despite what Vought had advised him of. That was the first time he had really turned away from them to do something that he thought was right,” he said.

“I just think it sort of sent him on a spiral. It happened in a short amount of time because his brother gets injured,” he continued. “He goes to Vought about it. They don’t do anything about it. He decides he wants to make a decision for himself. The only decision that he could make was one that would lead to his death. He knew dragging this man down this thing is going to blow his heart out. And he sort of accepted that in that moment. He was like, ‘OK, out of all the things that I’ve done, I’m going to give my life in this moment to do what’s right.’ Then he wakes up back and he’s deeper into the into the mess. Even death isn’t a way out. And I think that’s just the ultimate wake-up call. I cannot imagine, but I can only sort of play around with the idea of what that feels like to say, ‘This is something that I’m going to do regardless of it taking my life,’ and then realizing that it was all for nothing because you’re even deeper in the mess.”

“So I think for him, it’s just like everything is a question now. It’s like, ‘Do I want to be here? Do I want to do this? Is this right? Is this really what I want? Is this what I care about?’ And then, every moment after that is just sort of another another time to reflect for him,” he said.

Heyward talked about how her characters amorality and how she fits within the Vought legion of supes.

“I had a lot of conversations with [series creator Eric Kripke] about what does [this] mean? I just need to know from the creator. And I think…the world was set up so completely that people understand there’s a value system. Vought is amazing. Vought is something to go for…we’re trying to provide that sense of discovery again [and]…I feel like in a world where the question is do you have to become a monster to beat the monsters, it’s really interesting to have someone be amoral, who’s not necessarily interested in being a hero or a villain. And she’s trying to do something that’s very logical and doesn’t have any kind of moral gradation at all, and I think it keeps things exciting.”

Watch the full interview above.