The Boys Could Get More Spin-Offs (But Only Under Certain Conditions)
Superhero franchise spin-offs are a dime a dozen, and that's exactly what the creators of "The Boys" are trying to avoid with their own spin-offs. It's pretty easy to spot a cash-grab these days, and it would be pretty hypocritical of the shows in "The Boys" universe if they were doing the same kind of thing that they make fun of.
"Gen V" is the second "The Boys" spin-off, following animated anthology series "The Boys Presents: Diabolical," and it's gotten a pretty robust hype train going for it. Fans of "The Boys" can expand their view of its world through this show, which follows some of the top students at superhero college Godolkin University, and it could even introduce the franchise to a whole new set of younger fans, too. With the success of both spin-offs, you'd think that there would be a half-dozen more offshoots of "The Boys" in production, but so far things seem pretty quiet.
In an interview with ComicBook.com, producer Pavun Shetty, who works on both "The Boys" and "Gen V," revealed that there are some conditions that must be met before a "The Boys" spin-off gets greenlit. It has nothing to do with metrics or how many Homelander lunchboxes they might sell, but more to do with keeping the show's fans happy. And with a franchise as satirical and smart as this one, that means never underestimating fans' abilities to detect a grift.
Each show must fit within the whole
When it comes to "The Boys" franchise, there are loads of options for expanding the universe and exploring different characters and time periods, but Shetty doesn't ever want fans to feel like they're being taken advantage of, telling ComicBook.com:
"We'd love to have multiple shows, but I think audiences are really savvy and sophisticated, and I think they understand when there's a reason a show is coming out for the proper reasons and there's a real story to tell and it feels of the same world, but different. I think they can sniff out when it's just a show for a show's sake, and so we are really thinking about what the next show could be and how it can be thoughtful and fit into the universe and feel like it's a puzzle piece that fits in with everything else, but is not just a show for show's sake."
Both "Diabolical" and "Gen V" dig deeper into the universe without being required watches to understand the flagship series, which probably comes as a relief to fans that want to enjoy "The Boys" without needing to watch multiple other shows as well. They each add something totally unique, either because of their setting or format, bringing elements that could never work on "The Boys" itself.
Spin-offs with powerful potential
One thing that also seems to be a golden rule when it comes to the spin-offs is that they understand the unique tone of "The Boys." The series is an extremely dark action comedy that satirizes everything from Pepsi ads to the greater Marvel Cinematic Universe, and both "Diabolical" and "Gen V" seem to understand the razor-thin tonal tightrope walk that makes "The Boys" pure perfection. While "Diabolical" (mostly) doesn't take place within the canon of "The Boys," "Gen V" takes place between seasons 3 and 4 and has characters that crossover between both shows.
So what other shows could possibly happen in "The Boys" not-so-cinematic universe? A series based entirely around the superhero team Payback would probably do pretty well, as long as they were able to get Jensen Ackles to reprise the role of Soldier Boy. They could also do a series about the Vought-run supe orphanage, a look into how Vought operates outside of the U.S., or maybe even a series about a rise in supervillains. Whatever ends up being greenlit and brought into the greater world of "The Boys," at least we know that they won't just be making it for the paycheck.