Where Does Gen V Fall In The Boys Timeline?

The superhero satire series that fired shots at both Marvel and DC with impunity, Prime Video's "The Boys," is about to debut its own spin-off show with the college-set "Gen V." The irony of taking the exact same approach to expanding the franchise that its big-screen brethren would certainly approve of isn't lost on me (is it only a matter of time before we get something like a Soldier Boy spin-off/prequel series?), but the footage revealed in the most recent blood-soaked trailer sure doesn't seem to be following in the footsteps of conventional superhero projects. If "Gen V" turns out anything like its parent series, we can expect plenty of snark, violence, unapologetic political commentary, and blisteringly accurate jokes aimed directly at all of us who will flock to the theaters for "Avengers: Secret Wars."

As the premiere date for the spin-off show draws nearer and nearer, Prime Video continues to ramp up the publicity cycle for "Gen V." Selling audiences on a series set in the world of "The Boys" but without stars like Homelander, Billy Butcher, Hughie Campbell, or any of the main characters could be an uphill battle, so Entertainment Weekly recently published a lengthy deep-dive revealing all sorts of eyebrow-raising details. Fans of the original series will most likely want to know exactly when this new show actually takes place compared to when we last left our heroes (and villains) in the season 3 finale of "The Boys." Well, wonder no more. Buried in the article, one easy-to-miss sentence pinpoints the exact timeframe for this new story: after the explosive events of season 3 of "The Boys."

If you ever worried about the ever-violent behavior of sociopathic supervillain Homelander (Antony Starr) and all the frightening ways he actually appeals to adults in the world of "The Boys," can you even imagine how much worse it would probably be among young, hormonal, super-powered college kids who saw those antics broadcast all over national TV? In all likelihood, the creators of "Gen V" put a significant amount of time and effort into figuring out exactly when to set the spin-off show in comparison to the original — not only to account for certain crossover cameos and appearances that could potentially occur, but also to reflect the constantly evolving world-building of "The Boys."

Let's put it this way: when you have someone as powerful and unhinged as Homelander flying around and killing people with impunity, that's bound to affect even distant characters featured in "Gen V." That was exactly the point recently made by the official "The Boys" Twitter account, in fact. The social media manager (who wonderfully channels the distinct voice and tone of the show with every post, it should be noted) waded into the conversation the other day to clear up the timeline situation even further:

If we're clearin up the timeline, @genv takes place between S3 and S4. So the kiddos at God U all saw Homelander laser a guy's head off to the sound of thunderous applause pic.twitter.com/SYwH0raJgD

— THE BOYS (@TheBoysTV) September 6, 2023

Yeah, remember when season 3 ended on the horrifically disturbing note of Homelander committing murder in public and being cheered for it? It's no guarantee that this act will be explicitly revisited in "Gen V," but you can guarantee that the ripple effects will be felt among the students of this Vought-funded school for super-powered individuals. That's a scary thought. 

"Gen V" premieres September 29, 2023 on Prime Video.