Will Homelander return in the Boys Spinoff Gen V? Explored

A promotional poster for The Boys spinoff Gen V has sparked intrigue as it teases a link to Antony Starr's menacing character, Homelander. The image, released by Comic-Con International's official Twitter handle, depicts a bronze statue of Homelander, which was briefly showcased in the series trailer, with its head being seemingly vaporized, leaving behind a trail of smoke.

The Boys franchise's second spinoff show, Gen V, succeeding the animated series The Boys Presents: Diabolical, follows a fresh crop of 'Supes' at Vought International’s prestigious Godolkin University School of Crimefighting. A clip shared by Prime Video on Twitter has revealed the show's debut to be September 2023.

The poster suggests an association between the prime series and Gen V via a hint at Homelander, portrayed by Antony Starr.

The vaporized statue of Homelander is speculated to be a subtle nod to Golden Boy, Patrick Schwarzenegger’s character in the series, reputed for his pyrokinetic abilities.

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Homelander's absence: Gen V likely to move forward without the iconic Supe

The iconic Supe, Homelander, will likely be absent in the Boys' spinoff's thrilling storyline (Image via Amazon Prime Video)

Gen V, sharing the same universe as The Boys, is set to establish numerous ties with its predecessor series. Besides concentrating on the G-Men, initially introduced in The Boys season 1, the show will see cameos from The Boys' characters like A-Train (Jessie T. Usher), Ashley Barrett (Colby Minifie), Vought's CEO, and Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles).

However, despite what the new poster might hint at, Homelander, played by Starr, is not anticipated to make an appearance in the inaugural season of the spinoff. Instead, the image more likely suggests a kinship between Homelander, Vought's prime Supe, and Gen V's newbie, Golden Boy.

The character, played by the son of the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger, draws parallels with The Fantastic Four’s Human Torch and is the shining star of Godolkin University.

Golden Boy, the university's most adored student, likely shares a commonality with Homelander, who is notorious for his obsession with public image. Furthermore, Schwarzenegger's character, being an ambitious Supe, probably has his eyes set on rivaling, or possibly surpassing, Homelander's public persona. It remains to be seen if Golden Boy also embodies Homelander's sociopathic traits.

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Which The Boys characters might make a cameo in the spinoff?

Unveiling The Boys cameos: Expect surprises from familiar faces in the spinoff (Image via Amazon Prime Video)

The spinoff, arriving prior to The Boys season 4, might pave the way for the new Black Noir, either through a suggestive appearance or a brief cameo, with Gen V's storyline seemingly woven around a presidential election.

It's plausible that we may witness brief appearances from aspiring president Bob Singer and his running mate, Victoria Neuman. Moreover, the spinoff might also display direct crossovers with The Boys, with young Supes from the series potentially being recruited by the Seven.

Should the characters from the spinoff cross paths with the Seven, we might witness brief appearances from leading characters from The Boys, such as the Deep (Chace Crawford) and Starlight (Erin Moriarty).

Given that Godolkin University School of Crimefighting, as per Gen V's official synopsis, tests "young adult Supes in The Hunger Games-style challenges," it would align perfectly with Vought's reputation for challenging aspiring Seven members. Meanwhile, Starlight could try to dissuade the youngsters from joining the Seven.