‘Gen V’ cast returns with bigger battles, heartfelt tribute to late co-star
Prime Video’s superhero series “Gen V” has returned for its second season, immediately diving back into the action.
Set once again at Godolkin University, America’s premier college for young adult superheroes known as “Supes,” the first three episodes are now streaming, with the next one dropping today.
The spinoff from the Emmy Award-winning world of “The Boys” opens with a tribute to the late actor Chance Perdomo, who portrayed Season 1’s Andre Anderson.
His character’s death is woven into the storyline: Andre sacrifices himself to help his friends — Marie, Jordan and Emma — get out of the Elmira Rehabilitation Center alive, which ultimately leads to his tragic passing.
Season 2 follows Marie, Jordan and Emma, still burdened by trauma and loss, reluctantly return to Godolkin University. The school is run by Vought, the corporation at the center of “The Boys” universe, responsible for creating, managing and marketing superheroes like products. The trio soon discover that their fellow students Cate and Sam — previously seen as responsible for their detention at the prison-like facility supposedly designed to “reform” troubled Supes — are now celebrated as heroes.
The first three episodes, likewise, introduce a new dean, Cipher, who brings in a curriculum aimed at pushing the students’ superpowers to their limits. At the same time, the Supes deal with friendship and other personal issues, a brewing conflict between humans and superhumans on and off-campus, and a secret student program connected to Godolkin’s past — one that could have major implications, with Marie at the center of it all.
Back this season are Jaz Sinclair (as the hemokinetic Marie), London Thor and Derek Luh (gender-shifting Jordan), Lizze Broadway (size-shrinking Emma), Maddie Phillips (telepathic Cate), Asa Germann (the super-strong Sam), Sean Patrick Thomas (magnetism-wielding professor Polarity), and Hamish Linklater (Dean Cipher).
In a Zoom interview with The Philippine STAR, we got to exclusively talk to Jaz, London and Derek about how their characters evolve this season, their favorite action sequences and the show’s heartfelt tribute to their late co-actor.
“I think they all go through a big growth throughout Season 2,” said London, who plays the female version of Jordan — to which Derek, the male Jordan, agreed.
“Jordan, I think, goes through a big crisis of faith and, like, crisis of self and what to do and loses a bit of their moral compass,” she added.
Jaz, who as Marie has the power to “weaponize” blood, also teased on what to expect from her character.
“For Marie, I think just a lot more power this season and figuring out what the heck that means and what to do with it,” she said.
Having watched the screeners, we can say that their characters are part of many of the season’s most action-packed scenes.
“There were a lot of fight sequences this season, just in general. And for Marie, I got to do a lot more combat, which was really fun,” Jaz noted.
She particularly pointed out a brutal motel room showdown with Dogknott in the first episode titled “New Year, New U.” The character is a feral bounty hunter who is dispatched to track down Marie after the rehab escape.
“I always love anytime you see a fight sequence and they’re grabbing stuff from the room and utilizing it. Like, any kind of scrappy fight is my preference. So that one was really cool and exciting for me,” Jaz said.
“Yes, that was sick,” Derek jumped in before adding: “I would say the Vikor fight was so cool to learn and really, like, the rehearsal process of it all, tightening it up and, like, getting spacing.”
Vikor (played by Tait Fletcher) is the Supes’ hammer-wielding combat trainer, who Marie and Jordan will face off in Dean Cipher’s class on super physiology.
Derek recalled, “You know, Tait was such an amazing dance partner and just so receptive and also so great at asking for what he needs. So it kind of gave me the confidence to ask him for what I needed in return. And, yeah, that was super fun and also very challenging.”
The actor also teased another massive set piece toward the finale: “There’s that big combat scene with all the moving pieces, how it was so difficult to get that thing shot because we had two tandem units going and they’re shooting something out there and we had, like, a small window to get it done over here.
“But banging that thing out and how it looked on camera, how it added to the story, was just very, very cool!”
London, for her part, cited a cage match in an arena as another standout scene: “That was definitely a lot of action, a lot of stunt work and choreography. That was just fun to learn, it was challenging and technical.”
More than the action sequences though, it was the season’s emotional depth — particularly its homage to Chance who, as mentioned, passed away in a motorcycle accident last year at the age of 27 — that struck the cast the most.
London said, “It was very important to us, and I think very important to the showrunners, to Michele (Fazekas), to the creators and the writers. And I think you do feel him throughout the whole season and it was evident sometimes when we were filming.
“But I think seeing it all pieced together makes it a little bit more clear that he really is the heart of the show throughout the whole season, which is perfect.”
Furthermore, the storyline’s exploration of friendship among the Supes also connected strongly with the cast.
“I think just the friendship and the relationship aspect really hit me the most,” Derek reflected. “I get it. I understand wanting to be loved and wanting to be chosen and wanting to be picked as a friend and in a relationship. I totally understood and felt that struggle from Jordan and that longing and that wanting.
“So that one really hit me hard where I was just like, God, I don’t want to do this, you know, hahaha! It’s so sad.”
He continued, “And the vulnerable aspect as well of, like, opening up about that dream to Marie was like a very insecure, vulnerable…
“Shooting that with you (Marie) was great, that was such a great day on set. So those are the themes for this season that really resonated with me.”
This “emotional resonance,” they said, was anchored on the real-life bonds that carried over behind the scenes.
“Anytime I get to work with these guys, I’m so stoked. We have so much fun on set. London started bringing cards to set and that was really fun,” Jaz said.
“And when we were in Elmira, she was teaching us how to play golf or something… teaching us how to play (the card game) gin rummy?” Derek further revealed.
“I don’t remember,” London laughed in reaction.
“But yeah, we all built a friendship in Season 1. And I think coming back in Season 2 just made the friendship stronger.”
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