Prime Video’s new TV show spinoff, Gen V, has taken the streaming world by storm, and if you aren’t on board yet, you’ll want to be after this. Learn more about the newest spinoff from the universe of The Boys, including the plot and cast of the new series, plus how to watch Gen V now.
The Boys, Amazon Prime Video’s anti-superhero superhero show, has not stopped shocking audiences since the first episode of its first season. And fans can expect more shock (and violence, gore, satire and so on) with the first spinoff within the world of The Boys: Gen V.
Episodes of Season 1 of Gen V are available to watch on Prime Video starting September 29, 2023.
‘THE BOYS’ UNIVERSE OVERVIEW
To understand Prime Video’s new series, Gen V, we first need to get immersed in the universe The Boys takes place. Caution: below are some light spoilers about the original series.
The Boys is based on a comic series written by Garth Ennis and illustrated by Darick Robertson. It takes place in a world where superheroes – or supes, as they’re called in the show – are widespread, living among normal people going about their day-to-day lives.
These “heroes” are seen by most of the public as gifts from God, sent to earth to keep civilians safe. The most famous of them all are a group called “The Seven,” made up of the “very best” superheroes alive.
It turns out, however, that image was carefully crafted by the international conglomerate, Vaught, which makes its profits from supes in the form of media appearances, “civilian protection” and movie franchises as successful as real-world Marvel. Oh, and supes are not gifts from God, but actually injected as babies with something called Compound V.
And it’s that serum, Compound V, that is the inspiration for the name of the new spinoff series.
‘GEN V’ PLOT OVERVIEW
Rather than focusing on adult supes as The Boys does, Gen V is focused on the up-and-coming generation of supes, who have dreams of one day becoming a part of the elite Seven. Especially Marie Moreau, who the show is centered on.
This is after the public discovers that Compound V, rather than natural forces, creates superheroes, making the new generation depicted in Gen V the first to know how their powers came to be.
The new series takes place at Godolkin University, a college in The Boys universe. Of course, this isn’t just any college, but a college to train the supes of tomorrow how to embrace their powers.
But what really elevates this show is the real-world aspects of it. The writers have impeccably mirrored the college life of today’s Gen Zer’s while seamlessly weaving in the blood, gore and moral dilemmas typical to The Boys universe.
As Prime Video’s statement about the show reveals, even superhero college has its similarities to the traditional university:
“Beyond the typical college chaos of finding oneself and partying, these kids are facing explosive situations … literally. “
These adolescent supes are easy for viewers to get attached to (most of them, anyway), and the response to the show so far has been positive. And rightfully so.
OFFICIAL TRAILER
The official trailer for Gen V sets the scene for a college experience like none other, literally. And considering how hard college can be as a regular student, we can only imagine the stress these young adult superheroes will be going through. Watch the official trailer from Amazon Prime Video here:
The trailer shows a few familiar faces from The Boys, including the former fastest man in the world, A-Train (played by Jessie T. Usher) and Ashley Barret, the cutthroat middle manager turned CEO.
One of her lines from the trailer gives a glimpse into the drama to come:
“It’s just a matter of time before they find out about everything else we’re doing. If The Woods is exposed, we all have a big, potentially fatal problem.”
What – or where – is The Woods, and what are they hiding? Fans watching the series are as eager to uncover the whole truth as the show’s characters are.
‘GEN V’ RELEASE DATE
The official release date for the new spinoff series, Gen V, is September 29, 2023, at 8pm ET.
Amazon Prime Video will release the first three episodes on the night of the 29th, and the rest of the episodes will follow on a weekly basis.
The excitement doesn’t stop there, though: Amazon Prime Video has already renewed the show for a second season.
So, if you haven’t seen The Boys and want to get up to speed before the season premiere of Gen V, now is the time to get started!
MEET THE CAST OF ‘GEN V’
While there are some cameo appearances from Kripke’s The Boys, the main cast of Gen V is a mostly new group, representing the next generation of heroes. Here’s the cast list for season one of Gen V along with their expected roles.
Jaz Sinclair as Marie Moreau, a freshman at Godolkin University, with her eyes set on being the first Black woman in the Seven
Lizze Broadway as Emma Meyer, a supe whose superpower is shrinking, and roommate to Marie
Chance Perdomo as the magnetically powered Andre Anderson
Shelley Conn as Indira Shetty, Godolkin University’s suspicious Dean
Maddie Phillips as Cate Dunlap, who has the ability to control people with her touch
London Thor as Jordan Li, who has the ability to switch their gender, among other things fans are still discovering
Asa Germann as Sam, a supe with super strength and invulnerability, who is full of surprises
Patrick Schwarzenegger as Luke Riordan, AKA Golden Boy (Sounds a bit like Homelander part two? We hope not.)
Sean Patrick Thomas as Polarity, the supe father of Andre
Clancy Brown as a university professor, Rich “Brink” Brinkerhoff
Marco Pigossi as Dr. Edison Cardosa
Fans of The Boys can also expect even more cameos than the trailer revealed. In addition to Jessie T. Usher and Colby Minifie (Ashley), we can also expect Soldier Boy, played by Jensen Ackles, and Chase Crawford playing The Deep among the wider cast.
And there you have it, the main cast of season one of the college set spinoff, Gen V.
SHOULD I WATCH ‘THE BOYS’ AND ‘GEN V?’
For those who haven’t watched The Boys, you may be wondering if you should give it, or Gen V, a shot. And the answer is a yes, but with a few caveats.
Thanks to the impressive comic book adaptation by Eric Kripke and executive producing from Seth Rogan and Jason Netter, among others, The Boys is an extremely well-made show, in all ways a show can be. From the writing to the special effects, and the thematic messages woven into the script, the show will make you gasp, cry, yell and all the other emotions a quality show makes you feel.
That being said, The Boys, and we can imagine Gen V as well, are not shows for the faint hearted. Kripke embraces the violence that comes along with a superhero show and uses that shock factor to his advantage. And boy, is some of the blood and gore shocking.
From heads blowing up like balloons to fatal laser beams and other, more passive forms of violence, some watchers may need to shield their eyes throughout the series.
Gen V, however, certainly has a different tone to it than The Boys. Much of that is due to the characters; The Boys focuses on selfish, power-hungry adults, while Gen V focuses on young adults trying to find themselves, and how to use their powers for good.
If you can handle some gore, though, these shows, are well worth the watch. From the excellent script to impeccable, almost too real acting (we’re looking at you, Anthony Starr), this franchise will go down as one of the most innovative and creative shows in recent years.
WATCH ON DIRECTV
Customers can watch all of their favorite content, including Gen V, and other series like it with their DIRECTV subscription. Whether you’re connected via Satellite or via the Internet, you can add the apps you use right to DIRECTV’s entertainment interface.
Now you can get access to apps like Prime Video in the same place as live channels. It’s the best of every world. Find out how to connect your Gemini device to your third-party apps here.
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Get started today and find out how you can get your first three months of premium networks (that’s Max, SHOWTIME®, STARZ®, Cinemax® and MGM+™) free when you sign up for ENTERTAINMENT through ULTIMATE packages. Get DIRECTV today.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the season one premiere of 'Gen V?'
'Gen V' will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on September 29th, 2023, at 8pm ET.
How many episodes of 'Gen V' will there be?
The first season of 'Gen V' will have a total of eight episodes. The first three will be released on 9/29, with the rest following week to week.
What is 'Gen V' based on?
'Gen V' is a new spinoff from Amazon Prime that takes place in the same universe as the hit series, 'The Boys.'
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