Gen V: The Boys Spin-Off Features A Marvel Joke Most Fans Missed
Over the course of its three seasons, "The Boys" has taken off and become one of Amazon Prime's biggest shows ever. Now, with its second spin-off currently airing, fans have plenty more gruesome action, superhero satire, and morally dubious experimentation than ever to digest. Still, one of the franchise's most prominent angles for its humor can also fly over some viewers' heads.
Like "The Boys" and "Diabolical" before it, "Gen V" is sending up Hollywood's depictions of other major heroes on the big and small screens, and this time it's taking aim at the beloved Disney+ series, "WandaVision." In the series premiere, Season 1, Episode 1 ("God U"), endless social climber and online influencer Justine (Maia Jae Bastidas) comments on what's next for her.
"So my guys at Innovative are sending me out for this limited series on Vought+," she says. "It's an elevated superhero thing – a meditation on grief told through 70 years of sitcoms. And Zach Braff is directing." While that last bit is an especially deep cut, the fact that the series is taking aim at yet another director/showrunner with a spotty reputation adds even more flavor to this "Gen V" joke.
The Boys universe is well known for mocking Hollywood
Though Zach Braff may not be very well-known among younger viewers, the former "Scrubs" star and "Garden State" director was a pop culture force in the mid-'00s. He also has a bit of a controversial history, much like "The Avengers" director Joss Whedon, who "The Boys" previously took a jab at.
Still, it can't be overstated enough how much gall it takes to target the beloved "WandaVision" when there are much easier low-hanging fruit to mock from the television stable of Marvel adaptations like "Inhumans" or Netflix's "Iron Fist." All the same, as usual, the joke works in "Gen V," despite how much fans might love the Disney+ series.
Fortunately for Marvel fans, "The Boys" universe is just as likely to take on the DC side of the comics aisle. After all, Homelander (Antony Starr) and Queen Maeve (Dominique McElligott) are obvious send-ups of DC heroes, and the original series also features a movie called "Dawn of the Seven," a clear satirical take on "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice."
Who will be next to feel the sting of "The Boys" wit as "Gen V" continues to air will remain to be seen, but if the targets thus far are any indication, no franchise, movie, TV show, or hero is safe from the writers behind one of TV's best fictional universes.