The Big Picture
- Gen V introduces new Supes and a virus that impacts Season 4 of The Boys , creating an interconnected universe.
- Familiar faces like Billy Butcher and Victoria Neuman from The Boys appear in Gen V , setting up potential alliances and conflicts in future seasons.
- Expect Cate and Sam from Gen V to make an impact in The Boys Season 4, possibly aligning with The Seven and causing new challenges.
Not all spin-offs alter the original series, but in the case of The Boys and Gen V, the two series are so interconnected that the upcoming season of The Boys requires a bit of context from Gen V. While The Boys shows an established and dysfunctional team of Supes with world-renown, Gen V takes a different approach to the world by introducing new Supes still in school and training to one day reach the fame of those in The Boys. Season 3 of The Boys left off with a political conflict surrounding the heroes of The Seven as Homelander (Antony Starr) stopped playing the "good guy" so convincingly. But Gen V's characters are removed from that; these teens are not at the epicenter of the debate around Supes.
With the Season 4 trailer already revealing that the next part of the story will incorporate ideas from Gen V, it's important to remember how the shows interact. The spin-off introduces several ideas that will carry over to the original show, from yet another Vought conspiracy in the form of a secret lab to the Supe-killing virus that is now in play. Though drastically different, there are enough crossover characters and plots that could reshape the world that Gen V is necessary to understand Season 4 of The Boys.
The Boys
TV-MAA group of vigilantes set out to take down corrupt superheroes who abuse their superpowers.
Release Date July 26, 2019 Creator Eric Kripke Cast Karl Urban , Antony Starr , Chace Crawford , Jack Quaid , Colby Minifie , Aya Cash , Erin Moriarty , Dominique McElligott , Laz Alonso Main Genre Superhero Seasons 4 Studio Amazon Studios ExpandWhat Is 'Gen V' About?
The story follows Marie (Jaz Sinclair), an orphan who briefly appeared in The Boys before getting a spin-off. As she starts at Godolkin University, she enters a new culture where young heroes are taught to use and market their powers. Marie meets Luke, better known as Golden Boy (Patrick Schwarzenegger), a promising student at the school who suddenly attacks his friends before killing himself. After protecting the rest of the students from whatever happened to Luke, Marie and Luke's friend Andre (Chance Perdomo) are hailed as the Heroes of Godolkin, but instead of embracing the fame, they grow suspicious.
With the help of Marie's roommate Emma (Lizze Broadway), Luke's girlfriend Cate (Maddie Phillips), and their uncredited ally in stopping Golden Boy, Jordan (London Thor and Derek Luh), Marie and Andre investigate the professor Luke killed before turning on Marie. Together, they eventually uncover a Vought conspiracy and a lab underneath the school where scientists experiment on Supes, including Luke's brother Sam (Asa Germann). This brings the Supe versus humans conflict into the show on a more personal level, as Sam and Cate, in particular, feel wronged by humans, causing them to betray the others and side with Homelander.
'Gen V' Sees the Creation of a Supe-Killing Virus
Vought is always up to something in this universe, and it's usually nefarious. They have a hold on all Supes as it was Vought who dosed babies with Compound V to give them powers. Because of this, it's not a surprise that the company has a hand in the school for young Supes. Vought chooses to credit Marie and Andre as the Heroes of Godolkin, raising their status considerably. However, they are also involved in the secret lab called The Woods that Andre discovers. Here, Vought conducts illegal experimentation on Supes, including Sam.
Dean Shetty (Shelley Conn) is in charge of these experiments, and her biggest focus is creating a virus that will infect Supes but leave humans untouched. This project proves successful as she uses it to kill one of the many subjects in The Woods, adding an important new weapon to the world. The virus is established to be highly contagious among Supes, adding to its danger. Shetty's hate for Supes (which goes back to Homelander killing a plane full of people in the first season) initiates this invention, but it outlasts Shetty. After it's revealed that Shetty manipulated Cate, the young Supe gets her revenge.
Yet Shetty's creation continues to cause havoc. With Marie's plan to expose the virus failing, the Supes are in more danger than ever. The Boys' heroes, Hughie (Jack Quaid), Billy Butcher (Karl Urban), Starlight (Erin Moriarty), and their friends are trying to take out Homelander, one of the most powerful Supes, meaning this virus could be a powerful resource, or it could be used against Supes who are actually good and out of Vought's control — like Starlight or Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara). Either way, it's sure to be important in The Boys, as it's mentioned in the trailer.
Some Familiar Faces From 'The Boys' Appear in 'Gen V' Season 1
CloseWhile there are more than a few familiar characters to appear, only four cameos will impact The Boys Season 4. Some Easter eggs, like A-Train's (Jessie T. Usher) TV interview in the flashback to Marie's childhood or the Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) the kids see when trapped inside Cate's mind, are just for fun, but others are crucial to the story. Grace Mallory (Laila Robins), Butcher's former boss, makes an appearance when Shetty asks for help spreading the virus. Though Mallory is no great friend of Supes, she refuses to help and makes a mysterious phone call to suggest Shetty be watched. This leads to one of the more significant connections: Billy Butcher showing up in the mid-credits scene to investigate The Woods, which gives him information on yet another Vought conspiracy that he could expose. Butcher is more experienced at this sort of work than the heroes of Gen V, perhaps giving them an ally in the future.
Of course, this set of heroes encounters The Boys' antagonists as well. Most obviously, Homelander, who shows up during the confrontation between Marie and Cate. When Cate and Sam choose to release the children from The Woods, it ends up in an attack where the experimented-on Supes attempt to kill all non-Supes on campus. Marie and her friends try to stop them, but when Marie explodes the blood vessels in Cate's arm, Homelander flies in. Of course, the leader of The Seven is virtually unbeatable, so it's not a surprise that his laser vision ends the battle. The end of the season reveals that Cate and Sam are heralded as heroes, while Marie, Emma, Jordan, and Andre are taken captive, giving Homelander an unchallenged victory.
The final significant appearance is Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit), the secret Supe and politician who worked with Homelander. In Gen V, she comes to speak at the school, and Marie attempts to get her to expose the virus Vought created, but Neuman doesn't. Instead, she plays along, gaining "evidence" in the form of a sample. Killing her contact to keep her possession of the dangerous material secret, Neuman disappears with the virus, making her a particularly dangerous foe moving forward. As Neuman was set up to be an obstacle for the titular team in Season 3 of The Boys, this development will only make her more dangerous.
RelatedWho Is Jeffrey Dean Morgan Playing in 'The Boys'?
He's got a connection to Butcher.
How Many 'Gen V' Characters Will Appear in 'The Boys'?
It's impossible to know everyone who will show up without seeing the new season. After all, the spin-off introduced a university full of Supes and more Vought conspirators, but a few are sure to show up. Confirmed by their appearance in the Season 4 trailer are Cate and Sam, who are in a shot with members of The Seven. Their status as the new Guardians of Godolkin may make them allies with The Seven — especially as Homelander approves of their actions, even supporting them as they lead an attack on the humans on campus. There are no details on how they will be involved, but it has been speculated that Sam could fill Black Noir's shoes. However, as both appear separately in promotional material, that is unlikely — they seem to be working with the notorious team.
Sam is naive, having been imprisoned most of his life, but the treatment he experienced at the hands of Vought makes it clear why he would side with Homelander. His mental health issues that seem tied to his powers cause him to dissociate and commit gruesome murder while seeing the world as puppets. But he's also a powerful Supe with super strength and durability, and Homelander is more likely to see that than the problems. On the other hand, Cate is more aware of her choices, but she is blinded by justified hatred because of her mistreatment. Blamed for her unintentional role in her brother's disappearance, confined, and used as Shetty's personal tool against her friends, Cate has many reasons to mistrust humans, bringing her to Homelander's side of the debate. Her ability to persuade people to follow her orders with the slightest touch is dangerous for Homelander to have access to and is sure to create issues in the future.
Though no other Gen V characters are confirmed for the upcoming season of The Boys, there is no limit to what could happen. With Butcher investigating The Woods, he could discover the trapped heroes and recruit them to his cause. However, some of their story must be saved for Gen V Season 2. Whatever happens in The Boys Season 4, Gen V established a close connection to the series it spun off from, which seems to be continuing as the original show moves forward.
The Boys is available to stream on Prime Video in the U.S. with Season 4 releasing on June 13.
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