Summary
The Boysshowrunner Eric Kripke has addressed a potentially larger team-up crossover between the superhero show andGen Vat some point in the future. The first spinoff in the franchise features a new cast of young Supes attending school at Godolkin University, where they uncover a conspiracy to destroy people with superpowers. The show features returning characters fromThe Boys, withGen Vseason 1’s endinghinting the spinoff’s Supe virus being an important part of the main show going into season 4.
Speaking withVariety, Kripke revealed thatthere isn’t going to be a larger team-up crossover betweenThe BoysandGen Vat any point in the future. The showrunner explained how he wants to ensure viewers watching either show don’t need to watch the other to understand the story, wanting to allow each show to be enjoyed on its own merit without the reliance of a shared universe. Check out what Kripke had to say below:
I like the idea that there’s strands and Easter eggs that kind of pop back and forth, but full team up — no. I live in total fear of this notion that you have to watch both of them to understand the other one.
And so to me, it’s like, if you want to watch “The Boys,” and you don’t want to watch this other show, don’t watch it. If you want to watch “Gen V” and don’t watch “The Boys” — which I actually know a lot of people that do that — great. They’re each their own story. They each have their own reason for being. They each need to be good enough to exist without the other one existing. But I’m not giving the audience homework.
Why It’s Better For The Boys & Gen V To Stay Separate Shows
Keeping Them Apart Means Each Show Can Maintain Its Own Identity
WhileThe Boysseason 4has mentioned the virus first introduced inGen V, it hasn’t yet presented any information that would require viewers to watch the secondary show. This allows the series to possibly utilize the concept in forthcoming episodes without being overly reliant on an entirely different story. The same goes for the spinoff, which uses characters like Victoria Neuman and Homelander, but doesn’t make their existences required knowledge to fully understand the story unfolding. While seeing both shows adds perspective to each of them, they weave into each other without alienating viewers only watching one of them.
By keeping both shows from having a proper crossover, the franchise overallprevents itself from becoming like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is often parodied in the show by Vought Studios productions. Making both series accessible for viewers who don’t know much about the other helps each stand on their own, making a crossover unnecessary. WhileGen V’s references to its parent show are rather overt, they often serve as Easter eggs instead of necessary information, helping to keep the shows apart despite sharing a universe.
With bothThe Boysseason 5 confirmedandGen Vseason 2currently in production, more references between both series are likely to pop up occasionally. However, it’s better to keep them apart from one another, as it allows both shows to keep their unique identities without making viewers feel like they need to do homework to understand everything that’s going on. With both series set to feature their own Supes coupled with intriguing storylines, it’s for the best they stand apart instead of together.
The Boys
Cast
The Boys is a gritty and subversive take on the superhero genre, focusing on a group of vigilantes who confront powerful superheroes abusing their abilities, exploring themes of corruption and moral ambiguity in a world where heroes are not always what they seem.
