Summary
- The finale of Gen V Season 1 featured two exciting cameos that set up the arcs for Homelander and Billy Butcher in The Boys Season 4.
- While some viewers were confused about the timing of the mid-credits scene in the Boys universe, showrunner Eric Kripke emphasized that the events of Gen V and The Boys follow each other without any time jumps.
- The creator criticized popular comic book franchises that dabble in the concept of time and space travel, leaving viewers confused and frustrated.
Amazon has not yet announced a premiere date for The Boys Season 4. All we know is that the new episodes have already been filmed and are expected to land on Prime Video sometime in 2024. The marketing campaign is underway.
For viewers of The Boys' spinoff Gen V, however, Season 4 has already begun, so to speak. The finale of Gen V Season 1, which aired on November 3, featured exciting cameos from the original's two key players in the Supes vs. Humans conflict.
Both Homelander and Billy Butcher outlined their Season 4 arcs by appearing in Gen V. Homelander is clearly up to his neck in the 'Supes First' doctrine. And the mid-credits scene showed that the Boys have already begun their search for the Supe-killing virus, which is currently in the hands of Victoria Neuman.
When exactly did these scenes take place?
If you are a bit confused about the timeline after the shocking Homelander-caused twist, The Boys creator Eric Kripke is here to help. In an interview with Variety, he clarified that Butcher entered The Woods just a few days after the latest bloodbath on the grounds of God U. And The Boys Season 4 will pick up right there.
‘In our minds, it’s only a couple of days after whatever the events are of Gen V,’ the showrunner said. ‘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.’
Showrunner bashes other superhero universes for warping their timelines
Kripke added that it was important to him to keep the time flow in the Boys universe simple and continuous, especially as it grows with new spinoffs.
‘We try 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,’ he said. ‘It’s all more like cars on a train than it is a plate of spaghetti.’
By mentioning spaghetti, the creator is referring to a metaphor used by Michael Keaton's Bruce Wayne in the DCU's The Flash to explain a space-time continuum. Looks like Kripke, like many other viewers, was not sold on the whole concept.
On top of that, the MCU has made a real mess of its timeline after introducing the Multiverse and many projects that rely on it. The recent Loki series made the MCU timeline almost impossible to understand. And they are getting ready to add the X-Men franchise to the equation, which has already seen a few time jumps.
All of this makes Kripke's promise a welcome bonus. The Boys is already a fresh take on the superhero genre, and the fact that we won't be scratching our heads over its timeline is a perfect way for the series to stand out even more among other franchises.
Source: Variety.