The Boys Season 5 Risks Becoming the Thing It’s Always Mocked

Prime Video’s The Boys has a lot going for it that other superhero franchises do not. For one, since it’s on a streaming service that doesn’t mind blood and cursing, there is plenty of killing and enough expletives to sink a battleship every episode. One of the other things The Boys prides itself on is not taking itself seriously and poking fun at trends other studios embrace, such as the way the Marvel Cinematic Universe insists on creating “phases.” Vought International has a production wing that shoots movies and TV shows starring the company’s supes, which they announce in a humorous way by informing the public of all the projects they will have to watch to keep up to date.

Well, it doesn’t seem like the powers that be are paying close enough attention to what they’re putting out because they’re in danger of following the same pattern they’re cracking jokes about. The controversy centers on the spinoff, Gen V, which is getting a little too close for comfort to a flagship show that’s nearing the end of its run and in need of as few distractions as possible.

Gen V & The Boys Have Already Crossed Over in a Major Way

Gen V keeps things low-key for the majority of its first season. While there are connections to The Boys, such as references to Vought, which does business with Godolkin University, the school where the show takes place, the focus is on the young stars, including Marie Moreau. After arriving at Godolkin, Marie realizes that she’s in way over her head because there’s a dark underbelly to the campus that threatens to swallow her whole if she’s not careful. Other students start to pick up on the strange occurrences and agree to help Marie expose the school. Unfortunately, their efforts are in vain because, when they finally get the chance to fight back in Season 1’s finale, Homelander arrives, knocks them out, and throws them all in jail. It would be fair to assume that’s the last time characters that debuted on Gen V showed up on the small screen, since Season 2 isn’t out yet, but that’s not the case.

The Boys Season 4 picks up after the events of the spinoff, and while mentions of the events at Godolkin are few and far between, there’s a major surprise in the final episode when Sam and Cate show up to arrest members of the titular team. Homelander effectively takes control of the Oval Office and declares martial law, empowering Supes loyal to him, including Cate and Sam, to round up anyone they feel is a threat. Getting Hughie and his friends out of jail seems like something that the beginning of The Boys Season 5 will be all over – unless Gen V beats it to the punch.

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Gen V Season 2 Could Be as Important as The Boys Season 5

With the world in a state of disarray, there’s no way Gen V Season 2, which comes out before The Boys Season 5, can ignore what’s going on. After all, Prime Video isn’t Marvel Studios, a company that releases two projects set in New York City back-to-back that never reference each other because there’s so much going on behind the scenes. However, Gen V is making itself required viewing by bringing Starlight, one of two people to avoid Homelander’s goons, into the fold, sending her to Godolkin to recruit Marie for a mission. It’s unclear how big a role Starlight will play in the season, but whatever she does will get on Black Noir and The Deep’s radar, as they’re set to appear as well.

The final piece of the puzzle appears to be Marie, who the Gen V Season 2 reveals has the potential to be stronger than Homelander. Billy Butcher has been searching for a way to take down Vought’s top Supe for years, and with his wife’s son in the wind, he’s going to have to look elsewhere. It’s not a done deal that Marie will join the fight against Homelander, but it feels like things are heading in that direction. While having an Avengers: Endgame-style battle to wrap up The Boys would be epic, it wouldn’t be a good look for a show that made its name by mocking similar events.

The Boys and Gen V are streaming on Prime Video.

Are you concerned that The Boys and Gen V are too connected? Do you think Marie will appear in the final season of The Boys? Let us know in the comments below!