The Boys Story That Inspires Gen V Explained
While it may be some time until we get an update from Eric Kripke about Season 4 of The Boys, its spin-off production, Gen V, is getting ready for classes. Kicking off its first season on Amazon Prime Video on September 29, the series is set to tell a new story filled with younger and – as of right now – unfamiliar faces within The Boys universe. While these characters may be unfamiliar to those who have only tuned in for the scripted production, those loyal to the comics will find many parallels between the new show and the “We Gotta Go Now” comic arc.
“I would say it’s loosely inspired by an element of the comics, which is the G-Men. Part of the G-Men is there’s sort of an educational, college experience. And we just used that as a jumping-off point, kind of similar to ‘The Boys,’ where we sort of take an initial notion and then we are going to run with it in our own weird direction.”
Eric Kripke
Just like we’ve seen from previous seasons of the satirical superhero show, The Boys, which poked fun at Marvel and DC heroes like Captain America and Wonder Woman, Gen V will do the same. During a discussion with TheWrap, showrunner Eric Kripke (who’s also the man responsible for creating Supernatural), explained how the comics would tie in with the new show. Based on the group known as the G-Men (a satirical stab at Marvel’s “X-Men”), Kripke says that Gen V is “loosely inspired” by this group.
Using the G-Men as “a jumping-off point,” Kripke says that, like The Boys, Gen V uses this foundation as a start to build the rest of its story. But, don’t expect the series to follow the comics page for page. Just as the creative team did for the flagship production, the same can be said for the off-shoot as Kripke says that he and the others “are going to run with it in our own weird direction.”
Gen V Takes Place During The Boys Season 3
Taking place at the same time as Season 3 of The Boys, Gen V will focus on a group of students attending Godolkin University – a school for up-and-coming superheroes. Here, they’ll learn how to hone their abilities to make them the best members of society that they can be, and – if they work hard enough – they may even land themselves a seat on The Seven alongside the likes of the legendary Homelander (Antony Starr).
But, not all is as it seems in the halls of the university as secrets that go all the way to the top of Vought International begin to creep out of the surrounding forests and into the corridors.
The Boys has been one of Amazon Prime Video’s most popular original series to date, making it a no-brainer to greenlight a spin-off like Gen V. In fact, Gen V is the second title to come from the franchise with the animated production, The Boys Presents: Diabolical running for one season back in 2022.
Based on the group known as the G-Men (a satirical stab at Marvel’s “X-Men”), Kripke says that Gen V is “loosely inspired” by this group.
While fans may be loving the extra content coming from the universe, Kripke warns to not get used to it as he and the rest of the team “don’t feel the need to jam spinoffs out there,” adding that Gen V was simply a right place at the right time kind of deal.
Reprising their The Boys roles for Gen V will be the likes of Jessie T. Usher, Jensen Ackles, P.J. Byrne, Colbie Minifie, and Claudia Doumit with newcomers set to include Jaz Sinclair, Lizze Broadway, Maddie Phillips, Marco Pigossi, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Chance Perdomo, and more.
