The period of moving from adolescence into adulthood is easily one of the most formative chapters in a person’s life. No matter what path one takes, the lessons learned during this time shape the adult they’ll become. For some, this journey includes furthering their studies in academia which comes with its own set of excitement, hardships, and rites of passage. In Prime Video’sGen V, the brightest and best up-and-coming superheroes continue their education and training at Godolkin University. While they’re busy taking crime fighting classes and learning what it means to be ahero, they’re also living it up away from their families for the first time in their young lives. In an interview with Prime prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike,Gen VstarsDerek LuhandSean Patrick Thomasshared how the series blends familiar college experiences with the supercharged storyline.
“I think whatGen Vdoes brilliantly is in college life, these kids come in, and they have all these dreams and aspirations but it’s so kind of uninformed. And so that’s normal under any college circumstances. But when you have kids that have superpowers, it just kind of amplifies all the good that can happen with that and all the bad that can happen with that,” Thomas says. In the series, Thomas plays Polarity, a notable supe and revered alumni ofGodolkin Universitywho’s also the overbearing father of top student Andre Anderson (Chance Perdomo). “So that’s whatGen Vreally kind of exposes in terms of the storytelling is that in a larger canvas, it shows us how idealism and also selfishness kind of mixed in together and, and causes, you know, crazy results with these kids becausethey’re still forming,” he says, adding, “They’re still not mature yet.”
Joining forceswith his co-star,London Thor, Luh portrays a gender-shifting supe named Jordan Li. Praising the folks behind the script, Luh says, “Gen Vcaptures the debauchery and crazy student life for viewers by… the writing is so good. It’s just, it’s the finger is on, as such on the pulse of like, what it’s like to be a college student in today’s age?” Breaking down the show’s title and how it plays into the real world, Luh continues, “The play onGen Vis obviously Gen Z. And it’s like, we are the Gen Z in this world,” he says, “And they’ve done such a good job of just showing how absolutely insane it is to be acollege studentat any time, but especially now, because everything is recorded. Everything can go on social media. So it’s like, I think it’s even more crazy to do something crazy now than it was 10 years ago."
How to WatchGen V
Prime Video’sThe Boysspin-off arrives onSeptember 29with its first three episodes. From there, audiences can catch one episode a week until the season finale on November 3.
