‘The Boys’: The Best Titles From Vought Studios’ Supes
This is an excerpt from TV Guide Magazine’s Sci-Fi & Fantasy Special Collector’s Issue, which is available for international pre-order online at SciFi2021.com and available nationwide on newsstands now.
They created the supes, so it only makes sense the evil corporation farms them out for action flicks too! Here are some of the top titles from The Boys‘ Vought Studios.
Dawn of the Seven
Like a Justice League for Vought’s marquee supes, this entry in the Vought Cinematic Universe, or VCU, was an Easter egg–filled running gag throughout Season 2. Various episodes included behind-the-scenes moments from the flick’s filming of the Seven’s origins, like Queen Maeve’s (Dominique McElligott) faux coming out amid a mutant invasion and A-Train’s (Jessie T. Usher) dramatic exit. But the script underwent a major rewrite after Stormfront (Aya Cash) took issue with the movie’s treatment of women, leading to a “Girls Get It Done” marketing campaign.
The Homelander Series
Since Homelander (Antony Starr) is a parody of the Man of Steel, Superman, it’s only fitting that he would headline a set of dramatic films on his own. With names like Homelander: Origins, Homelander: Rise of a Hero, Homelander: Darkest Day, and Homelander: Brightest Night, eagle-eyed fans found clever nods to various comic book films such as X-Men Origins: Wolverine and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, as well as the Green Lantern’s motto, hidden within the titles.
The Deep: Rising Tide
Before he was sunk by the revelations of his predatory behavior with Starlight (Erin Moriarty), the Deep’s (Chace Crawford) save-the-seas message was a top-tier box-office draw. In the series’ opener, a billboard for his Aquaman-esque feature was seen in Times Square alongside titles for Queen Maeve, Homelander, and Black Noir (Nathan Mitchell).
Citizen Starlight
Despite her best efforts to avoid the spotlight in Season 1, reluctant recruit Annie wound up fronting this aggressively edited docudrama that chronicled Starlight’s rise to role model status following her sexual-harassment accusations against the Deep. “Watch her stand up and fight back…for all of us!” blared the promos. If they only knew then how much fight she actually had in her.
Black Noir: Insurrection
The ninja of the Seven stepped out of the shadows for his solo feature, teaming up with none other than The Boys’ real-life executive producer Seth Rogen. In Season 1, Rogen cameoed as himself alongside Noir for a cheeky TV interview about working in the VCU. “The movies are incredibly violent and tons of people die,” he admitted. “But they’re still really good for children.”
Translucent: Invisible Force 2
Apparently, enough folks paid to see a superhero who could turn himself invisible to warrant a sequel. However, after Translucent (Alex Hassell) met his end by an unfortunately inserted bomb detonated by Hughie, exec producer Rogen popped up once again, in a quick bit in which he addressed the impact the supes’ death would have on the franchise.
The Boys, Seasons 1-2, Streaming now, Prime Video