Posted in: Amazon Studios, Opinion, TV, TV | Tagged: gen v, the boys

Gen V: Some Thoughts on Spinoff Ending, Doing Right by Marie & More

Some thoughts on Gen V ending its run, including how it became more than a spinoff from "The Boys," needing to do right by Marie, and more.

Heading into the weekend, Gen V fans learned the heartbreaking news that The Boys spinoff series would not be returning for a third season. In a statement released by Showrunner/EP Eric Kripke and EP Evan Goldberg, it was noted that while the series wouldn't be returning, viewers can expect some of the characters to appear in future VCU (Vought Cinematic Universe, except the real-world one) projects. Based on the social media reactions over the past 24 hours, there are a whole lot of folks who aren't happy, feeling a bit concerned, and have a whole lot of questions – and understandably so. The thing is, the news may or may not be as cut-and-dry as it seems – something we've been thinking about over the past 24 hours or so. With that in mind, we wanted to pass along some perspectives that have been Jiffy-Popping in our brains – beginning with what might be the most obvious point:

"Gen V" Ending: What Does It Really Mean? Here's what we know: Gen V is ending after this season, and a number of characters from the show are playing a part in the final season of The Boys. Beyond that? We don't really know. Was the show canceled, or is it ending? Because there's a big difference. For example, Adult Swim didn't cancel Smiling Friends, but the show's creators decided to end it after two seasons. At this point, we don't know what the fate of "The Boys" universe will be until the final credits roll on the series finale of The Boys – an episode that's been held from critics, by the way. Maybe a school for supes will no longer be a factor moving forward – we just don't know. Maybe the entire concept of supes gets turned on its head. Again, we just don't know. That said, we thought it was odd that any decisions about anything having to do with "The Boys" universe (except the prequel, "Vought Rising") would be announced before the main series had wrapped its run, to avoid possibly even hinting at what's to come.

"Gen V" Was Much More Than "The Boys" Spinoff: The thing about Gen V is that it ended up being much more than a spinoff – it was more like a "1A" series, especially by the time the credits rolled on the second (and now final) season. You had none other than Thomas Godolkin (Ethan Slater) as the "big bad." You had Marie (Jaz Sinclair) confirmed to be on the same power level as Homelander (Antony Starr), courtesy of Project Odessa. You had Annie (Erin Moriarty) and A-Train (Jessie T. Usher) arriving during the season/series finale to recruit them for their fight to take down Homelander. Those are just three examples, but there are others (like The Boys Season 4 finale) that could be offered that make a clear case that Gen V was something a bit more special than a spinoff.

In fact, Kripke shared just how important the series was back in October 2025, during a post-Gen V Season 2 finale interview with THR. "They are playing an important part. Part of the fun of wrapping out season two that way is that we really get to set the table for season five, where there's now this active and growing resistance led by Starlight that A-Train is an important part of. They're really trying to take the fight back to Homelander and this sort of fascist government," Kripke shared about the role that the Gen V cast would play during The Boys final season.

He continued, "By the same respect, we still work hard to try to maintain our balance that 'The Boys' is about 'The Boys,' and 'Gen V' is about 'Gen V.' The characters provide crucial assists, but it's still about 'The Boys,' and you can watch it without having watched 'Gen V' and vice versa. But watching both is still a much more fun experience." At the time, Kripke noted that the final season of the main series won't include a Gen V finale. "We don't play it in season five of 'The Boys' that this is the end of 'Gen V.' We leave them open-ended because we actually have more 'Gen V' story to tell, and we'd love to tell it. It depends on the ratings and how many people end up tuning in. We have to make it so Amazon picks us up for another season," Kripke shared.

"The Boys" Legacy & Doing Right by Marie Moreau: This is where Kripke and the creative team may have painted themselves into a tough corner. With Gen V not returning and Marie having now been established to be a major badass in the greater scheme of things, how do you now give at least Marie – if not the others – some serious moments to shine? For the two seasons of the spinoff series to have meant something, they need and deserve a big payoff. Just to be clear, those aren't the words of a fan you're reading. We're just expecting a payoff because that's what was sold to us. And we're not talking Marie and the others on screen for just a few seconds here and there, only for them to end up getting knocked out or something to explain why they're not around. If there are thoughts of killing off Marie, don't. But if they're going to, she demands a heroic death, taking on Homelander one-on-one and contributing in some large way to taking him down. Otherwise, what was the point of wanting us to care about and invest in Marie's journey? Marie and Sinclair deserve better.

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