‘The Boys’ Showrunner Eric Kripke Got Real On What Is ‘Bewildering To Me As A Viewer’ About Some Comic Book Universes

It’s no secret that the MCU has found itself in a difficult place, which is predicted to reflect in the The Marvels box-office this upcoming weekend. The DCU isn’t doing splendidly either in that department, although James Gunn is striving to turn things around, and if anyone can do so, it’s the Guardians of the Galaxy maestro. Thinking about that trilogy harkens back to a simpler time, before the MCU became so complicated that it arguably began to wear out moviegoers with different timelines and a zillion references (or “homework”) that virtually required watching several TV shows before a new movie.

Don’t expect that to happen with The Boys and Gen V.

The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke discussed when The Boys Season 4 takes place, and there’s excellent news on the way for those who appreciate a straightforward approach to telling a kickass story. Long story short: he and other producers see what’s going on in some comic book universes, and they won’t go there. So, after the Gen V finale when Homelander (appropriately for him) steals the show, and we find out that Billy Butcher (in a credits scene) is aware of the Supe virus shenanigans, only a few days will pass before Season 4 begins. Via Variety:

“In our minds, it’s only a couple of days after whatever the events are of ‘Gen V.’ 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. 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.”

Spaghetti (or angel hair) rules, yes, but not so much as a cinematic narrative. And it’s wonderful to know that The Boys and Gen V viewers can look forward to continued complexity in characters while not stressing about timelines. Whew.