VOUGHT RISING SPINOFF OF ‘THE BOYS’ NEEDS FRESH NEW DIRECTION

– Vought Rising gives a unique look at a more vulnerable Vought in the 1950s, lacking the power and influence seen in The Boys .

– The absence of social media in Vought Rising changes the game, allowing supes to act without fear of instant exposure.

– Vought Rising has the potential to stand out as the most unique spinoff in The Boys ‘ universe.

Vought Rising marks another entry in the growing universe of The Boys, but two key aspects of the main show and Gen V will be absent from the new prequel. One of the biggest The Boys reveals at SDCC 2024, Vought Rising will be set during the 1950s and represents the fourth official The Boys spinoff after The Boys Presents: Diabolical, Gen V, and The Boys: Mexico. While story details are minimal at the time of writing, Jensen Ackles and Aya Cash will reprise their roles as Soldier Boy and Stormfront, respectively.

As the franchise grows, The Boys begins to resemble the very thing it mocks – a sprawling superhero universe churning out sequels upon spinoffs upon prequels. In order to avoid appearing hypocritical – if that ship hasn’t sailed already – Vought Rising must justify its place within Amazon’s pantheon of The Boys content. Fortunately, two elements of Vought Rising’s core premise are already proving how the new spinoff will stand apart from The Boys and Gen V.

Vought Won’t Be A Major International Company In The Vought Rising Spinoff

An ever-present keystone in the premise of The Boys, and also Gen V, is the omnipotence of Vought. Whether it be money, political influence, or public opinion, Vought exists as an all-powerful entity during the franchise’s present-day, riding out lawsuits and controversies with shocking ease. By the time The Boys season 1 begins, Vought is firmly established as a global superpower, and through the efforts of Homelander and others, continues consolidating that position until Homelander becomes the de facto President of the United States during The Boys season 4’s ending.

Whereas the present-day company eats scandal for breakfast in The Boys, Vought will be earning its status in Vought Rising.

With Vought Rising set during the 1950s, audiences can expect to see a more fragile, cautious Vought – a far cry from the global superpower that dominates The Boys and Gen V. Vought American will still be somewhat powerful in Vought Rising, of course – the fledgling company controls Compound V and has the means to create super-soldiers, after all. According to The Boys’ timeline, however, Vought will be around a decade old during the prequel, if not younger, so won’t have the same level of supe firepower, political connections, resources, global presence, or reputation.

Whereas the present-day company eats scandal for breakfast in The Boys, Vought will be earning its status in Vought Rising, trying to avoid rousing suspicion and controversy. Vought won’t have the ability to instantly quash negative press or cover up supes misbehaving, and the American public won’t have been indoctrinated into worshiping Vought by 70 years of PR campaigns and advertising. The notion seems ridiculous when looking at The Boys, but Vought might actually be something of an underdog in Vought Rising.

 

Vought Rising Won’t Have Social Media & Other Modern Elements From The Boys

 

The Boys and Gen V are both written for the social media generation. Events that occur in both shows rapidly spread across the franchise’s fictional population, whether it be Starlight quitting the Seven in protest, Homelander lasering an innocent man, or the Boys exposing the truth about Compound V. In Vought Rising, media will be limited to newspapers, rudimentary broadcasts, and landline phone calls, and this one change completely upends the entire landscape of the story.

Vought Rising takes place in an era where racial discrimination was far more ampant.

From Vought’s perspective, supes will have more leeway to commit crimes and act recklessly without the constant gaggle of smartphone cameras that follow their counterparts in The Boys and Gen V. Since the franchise began, Homelander has been compromised by incriminating videos, protest hashtags, and live TV, but Vought Rising will explore the depraved crimes supes commit when instant worldwide communication isn’t possible.

In more bad news for ordinary people in The Boys’ 1950s timeline, Vought Rising’s low-tech premise will also prevent characters from using cellphones to call for help. There will be fewer weapons that can actually harm supes, and the good guys will need to work harder to dig up dirt on their super-powered enemies. Vought Rising will expose just how heavily Butcher’s crew relies on modern technology – and how much harder the job would be without those conveniences.

Beyond technology, cultural differences also make Vought Rising inherently different. The Boys and Gen V both feature discrimination as a prominent theme, and racism in particular sits at the story’s heart, whether via Stormfront’s ideology or Vought’s insulting attitude toward Black communities. That all sits against the backdrop of a modern world where racism is, broadly speaking, not socially acceptable, but Vought Rising takes place in an era where racial discrimination was far more rampant. Rather than the sly brand of prejudice Vought peddles in The Boys and Gen V, injustice will be far more overt and unapologetic in Vought Rising.

 

The Problem With Vought Rising’s Prequel Premise

 

Vought Rising will fall victim to the same problem many prequels face: a pre-written ending. The new spinoff chronicles how Vought rose to prominence, but thanks to The Boys, audiences will enter the new series fully aware of where that narrative road leads. The fates of Soldier Boy and Stormfront are both mapped out, while Vought’s future is guaranteed to be a bright and prosperous one, meaning any resistance the company faces during Vought Rising shall undoubtedly get quashed.

Deprived of the excitement an undetermined ending brings, Vought Rising must work even harder to justify its existence and differentiate itself from The Boys and Gen V. Taking place during an era where Vought wasn’t calling the shots certainly takes a big step in that direction, but the absence of modern technology and cultural values adds a second big stride. Rather than a disappointing case of repeating the same formula, therefore, Vought Rising has the potential to be The Boys’ most unique and striking spinoff yet.