Eric Kripkehas recently highlighted how significant Butcher’s cameo inGen Vis for laying the groundwork for the upcoming Season 4 ofThe Boys. In the series, viewers are introduced to Godolkin University, a place where aspiring young heroes undergo rigorous tests of both their physical abilities and moral compass in pursuit of the coveted top rank. However, beneath the halls of this institution lies The Woods, a facility where abandoned supes are subjected to grueling experiments. In the post-credits scene of the season finale, Karl Urban’s character, Butcher, walks through these corridors and encounters what we presume to be a lifeless supe who has succumbed to the supe-killing virus.
This post-credits scene, according to Kripke in an interview withMen’s Health, serves as the “ground zero” moment that sets the stage forThe BoysSeason 4:
“The Homelander stuff felt, to us, like a culmination of this season of ‘Gen V,’ and I would say the Butcher cameo is more than anything else what sets up Season 4.
Butcher, heading into Season 4, is well aware that there’s this virus out there that can kill superheroes. So, we wanted to see the ground zero of that moment, which is what we did in the very, very last moments of this season of ‘Gen V’….”
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Watching Gen V’Aids in Understanding The Boys Season 4, but It’s Not Necessary
The upcoming season ofThe Boysis set to address the supe-killing virus as a major concern,picking up just a few days after the events ofGen V. This approach ensures a straightforward and linear progression, eliminating the confusing timeline folding that plagues some other comic book universes. Kripke previously emphasized that they want to keep things modular and easy to follow, much like “cars on a train”.
“In our minds, it’s only a couple of days after whatever the events are of Gen V. We attempt to keep the timeline super simple because all that folding-in-on-itself timeline stuff that I think other comic book universes find themselves having to do is just bewildering for me as a viewer. So it’s all very modular. It’s like there’s Season 3 of The Boys, and then after that Gen V takes place, and then after that The Boys Season 4 takes place. And then after that, Gen V Season 2 takes place. It’s all more like cars on a train than it is a plate of spaghetti.”
However, it is not absolutely necessary to watchGen Vbefore diving into the next season ofThe Boys.Kripke stated that while elements from the spin-off series set the stage for Season 4 and can provide additional context and depth, viewers can enjoy each series independently.
“The virus is a big concern of Season 4. I think a lot of things in ‘Gen V’ set the table for Season 4, and I think we’re trying to keep with the same rules that we kept for ‘Gen V’—it would be helpful to see ‘Gen V’ to understand Season 4, and provide a little more context and a little more depth. But it’s by no means necessary.”
“If you just want to watch ‘The Boys’ without watching ‘Gen V,’ that’s great, if you want to watch ‘Gen V’ without watching ‘The Boys,’ that’s great too. If not both of these shows, we just want you watching one of them, and not have it feel like homework.”
Gen Vconsists of a total of eight episodes, which are currently available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
