The Boys Spin-Off Gen V's College Setting Will Turn The Shock Factor Up To 11
Are you a fan of superheroes? You might not be after watching "The Boys." The small-screen adaptation of Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson's comics, which was created by Eric Kripke and produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, isn't subtle about its satire ("All Superheroes Are Bastards" would've been a fitting alternate title for the series), nor should it be. It also prides itself on its shock-tastic comedy, from the events of the notorious "Herogasm" episode to the show's characteristic propensity for horrifically funny, blood-splattering carnage.
That looks to hold doubly true for "Gen V," the show's upcoming spin-off about a group of "supes" studying at Vought International's Godolkin University School of Crimefighting. Described by Prime Video as "part college show, part 'Hunger Games' — with all the heart, satire, and raunch of 'The Boys,'" the series will continue to expand the "Boys" Cinematic Universe (trademark pending) that already encompasses the animated "Diabolical" anthology shorts and, in a sense, the faux-news digital series/viral marketing shorts "Seven on 7."
Just as importantly, "Gen V" will join "The Boys," "Invincible," "Preacher," "Santa Inc.," and the incoming "Sausage Party" sequel series "Foodtopia" among the ranks of the Rogen/Goldberg Television Universe (they should probably just make life easier for all of us and merge their names into "Rogberg" or "Goldgen" already) — a place where there's no such thing as a scene that's too violent or a joke that's too vulgar, assuming it's punching up. However successful "Gen V" ultimately proves in building upon its parent series in a creative sense, rest assured, it will deliver the gross-out goods.
College supes do the darndest things
With the long-awaited "Invincible" season 2, "The Boys" season 4, "Foodtopia," and "Gen V" all on the way, fans of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's television shows won't be hurting for jaw-dropping butchery, debauchery, and other miscellaneous depravity in the future. "Gen V," in particular, promises to be off the chain in that regard, what with it being a college comedy (itself a sub-genre that's been historically prone to naughtiness). In fact, Rogen told Empire "every single one of them" has scenes that can go toe-to-toe with the most infamous moments from "The Boys," the extraordinarily disturbing "Thanus"-inspired Termite sex scene included.
"'Gen V' has some really crazy s*** in it," Rogen said. "The fact that they're in college, they're a little younger, makes it more shocking maybe." Getting Prime Video to sign off on these shenanigans isn't as difficult as you might imagine, either. According to Rogen:
"In general, if you're making an R-rated thing, they let you do whatever the f*** you want, unless there's some real legal thing that they think you might be bumping against. With 'The Boys,' maybe it requires one extra five-minute phone call, where they're like, 'Really?', and you're like, 'Really.' There are other things you're on hours of phone calls about that are so much less interesting than that."
"More shocking," of course, is no guarantee of sharper satire or stronger storytelling, so it remains to be seen how "Gen V" fares in that department. That said, the spiraling costs and diminishing box office returns of several recent live-action Marvel and DC movies (coupled with their overall lack of inventiveness) have certainly kept the world of superheroes a prime target for continued ribbing by the likes of Rogen and Goldberg.
"Gen V" is expected to premiere on Prime Video in 2023.