Major Character's Return Plans Revealed By Eric Kripke

The Boys creator Eric Kripke reveals that a major dead character from Gen V season 1 almost returned for season 2. Kripke is one of the co-creators and executive producers of Prime Video’s spinoff series that explores college-aged supes at Godolkin University while also featuring substantial connections to the franchise’s main series.

During an interview with ComicBook, Kripke was asked if there had been discussions about bringing back Luke Riordan/Golden Boy (Patrick Schwarzenegger). The powerful supe, who was ranked #1 at Godolkin University and poised to join the Seven, dies at the end of the show’s first episode and sets the entire series in motion.

Kripke explains that there were originally plans to bring Luke into season 2 via dream sequences. While Kripke does not remember for sure, he believes Luke specifically appeared in the dreams of his brother, Sam Riordan (Asa Germann). However, Schwarzenegger’s shooting schedule for The White Lotus season 3 conflicted with his Gen V return from happening. Check out Kripke’s comments below:

“We did. If I remember correctly, there were a couple of dream sequences. I forget who was having the dreams. Maybe Sam, but 100 percent it made its way to the outlines where Golden Boy was showing up. But Patrick… I think he was shooting some tiny show about a hotel. I don’t know. Some tiny indie thing. I don’t think anyone saw it [laughter]. Obviously, he was doing White Lotus and was super-busy with that and the press. I don’t think we could work out the schedules, if I remember correctly.”

The mystery behind Luke’s death was resolved in season 1 through the developments involving Gen V’s The Woods program and Sam’s role in it. Luke’s death has continued to loom over Sam in season 2, though, as he mourns his brother and works on becoming a version of himself who is not controlled by others.

Bringing Luke into season 2 could have played into Sam’s internal struggles and him ultimately growing into a better version of himself. This could have been particularly emotional in Gen V season 2, episode 5, when Sam returns home to his parents and reconciles with them.

Since Kripke is not positive that Luke returned in Sam’s dreams, another possibility is that he appeared in the dreams of Cate Dunlap (Maddie Phillips). With Cate undergoing her own redemption arc in season 2, revisiting her time with her former boyfriend, who she manipulated with her powers, would have been a natural direction for the story to take.

Cate using her powers on Luke in Gen V season 1

Instead, season 2 has focused more on the legacy of Andre Anderson (Chance Perdomo) after the actor passed away, and the season was substantially rewritten to incorporate the character’s death into the story. Honoring Andre has been one of the season’s driving forces for his father, Polarity (Sean Patrick Thomas), and for Andre’s friends.

However, with Kripke already teasing plans for Gen V season 3 after The Boys season 5, there is a chance of Schwarzenegger playing Luke again in the spinoff via a dream sequence in a future season, especially where Sam and Cate are concerned.

Gen V season 2 poster