Gen V's Most Mysterious Set Terrified The Cast In Real Life
This article contains spoilers for "Gen V."
From the moment it premiered, "The Boys" was a fantastic satire of superhero stories, a show that pulled back the curtain and interrogated the genre and all its shortcomings while still delivering a fantastic and thrilling superhero story in its own right. Indeed, what makes the show work, like any great satire, is that it still functions as the very thing it is satirizing, which is why it was always inevitable that — like the Marvel and DC universes it mocked with impunity — "The Boys" would eventually grow into a cinematic universe with spin-offs and the like. First, there was "The Boys Presents: Diabolical," an animated anthology that connects to the live-action show, and now we have the upcoming college-set spin-off "Gen V."
So far, "Gen V" has presented a blood-soaked story that fits right in with the world of "The Boys," and delivered episodes full of mystery and intrigue. Entertainment Weekly published a deep dive into the world of "Gen V" ahead of the series premiere, including the reveal that a particular set terrified the actors — The Woods. Halfway through season 1, there are still so many mysteries surrounding The Woods, but audiences have seen Sam (Asa Germann) trying like hell to escape them by any means necessary. And with good reason: The Woods is the nickname of the secret testing lab underneath Godolkin University, where employees of Vought International are treating young Supes like lab rats.
It's a location that's scary enough on its own, but even its existence on set proved to be too much for some of the actors.
School's out for murder
"The Woods is terrifying!" star Jaz Sinclair, who plays bloodbender Marie Moreau, told Entertainment Weekly. The goings on inside The Woods are like something straight out of a fascist handbook, which tracks considering Vought International, the company that makes and controls Supes (and much of America), was founded by a literal Nazi. It's been revealed that Sam has been experimented on for years, hidden away from the rest of the student body, including his own brother, Luke "Golden Boy" Riordan. Even the design of the facility put the actors on edge, as Sinclair said:
"It's so creepy in there. I don't even like hanging out on that set. Even the greens that they pick, they're really oppressive colors. It looks dirty. It looks like it's been there for a really long time. They have creepy little smiley animals on the walls. It's awful."
The truth behind what's really going on in The Woods, and why, is the big mystery that takes over the school year at Godolkin, the X-Men-inspired school setting for gifted future Supes. Marie Moreau serves as the show's de-facto protagonist — similarly to Hughie Campbell in "The Boys" — but just like its predecessor, "Gen V" also boasts a fantastic ensemble cast. Prime Video advertised "Gen V" as sort-of a raunchier take on a film like "Sky High," where Supes would be competing to be the most powerful hero on campus. However, episode 1's shocking ending delivered the powerful swerve of positioning The Woods as the biggest obstacle any of these heroes-in-training will face.
No one gets out alive
When it was made public in "The Boys" that Supes are made by chemical injection and not born, it was a devastating revelation for so many Supes who had been operating for years under the impression that they were specifically chosen by the universe or some divine power, and not that their parents had sold them as babies to be guinea pigs for superhero testing. The reveal of The Woods on "Gen V" poses a similar question: How long has this been going on?
Calling The Woods a research facility or experimental testing ground is a generous assessment, because it's more like solitary confinement with torture thrown in as a little treat. And to make matters worse, the parents and loved ones of Supes being experimented on in The Woods are led to believe that their Supe is dead in order to cover up the atrocities happening to them in the name of ... whatever it is Vought is doing down there.
The audience's greatest insight to The Woods is Sam, who is as powerful as he is mentally unwell. And yet it's not yet known if Sam's instability was something he was born with, or a side effect from years of testing. Before his passing, Golden Boy was plagued by a recurring dream of a young Sam calling for help, and saw a vision of woods outside his door. This seems to indicate that the testing on Sam and Luke had been going on long before being admitted to Godolkin University.
Only time will tell what is really going on inside The Woods, but no one keeps a secret lab with dozens of heavily armed security guards unless there's something seriously sinister afoot. And if its existence on set was powerful enough to make actors feel uneasy, fans of "Gen V" are seemingly in for a shocking ride.