Summary
WithThe Boysapproaching its final season, the universe of their stories is expanding with new spin-offs likeVought Rising, but the show may have an interesting challenge introducing one character. The Boys has always put super-powered people under a microscope that attempts to go beyond the superficial superhero found in most comic book movies. And this has led to a wide variety of supes who have significant flaws, and pretty unlikable personalities.
The world ofThe Boysis now expanding beyond The Seven and Billy Butcher’s crew, as spin-offs begin to examine other characters and groups.Gen Vdid a great job showcasing what college life looks like for the supes, and the upcoming spin-off,Vought Rising, is set to go back in time and reveal how the corporation that makes supes established itself, with a few familiar faces returning. However, while the series will also certainly introduce other characters connected to the stars, Soldier Boy and Stormfront, it will need to be careful in how these new characters change the dynamics.
Why It’s Good The Boys Is Ending With Season 5
The Boys season 5 will mark the end of the main series, and we think that’s for the best.
Vought Rising Can Introduce Stormfront’s Daughter, Chloe
Stormfront Was A Mother To A Young Daughter In The 1950s
One of the most interesting elements ofVought Risingis the promise that it will examine the early lives and careers of people like Soldier Boy and Stormfront. Stormfront appeared to be a fairly young woman inThe Boys, but she was actually around 100 years old. She was born in Germany in 1919, andshe fell in love with and married Frederick Vought. Vought was a brilliant genetic scientist and the founder of Vought-American, who built his corporation on his invention, Compound V.
This new chemical had the ability to give ordinary people superpowers, and he successfully used it on his wife, Klara, turning her into the first superhero. But their family grew when they had their daughter, Chloe Vought.Chloe is likely to appear inVought Rising, and with the story being set in the 1950s, it is likely that Chloe will not be that old. At most, she is likely to be 10 years old during the early days of Vought being built, so it will put Stormfront in a position where she is a doting mother to a young daughter.
Vought Rising Must Be Careful Not To Humanize Stormfront
Stormfront Is A Monster, And It Should Stay That Way
The problem is, Stormfront is a terrible monster. She was a Nazi, a murderer, and a terrible racist who lied, slaughtered, and attempted to set herself up as a god among men. While all of this is true,The Boysalso revealed thatshe had a genuine and sincere love for her family. She fondly recalled memories with her husband and daughter, and she had a picture which she kept close of her with her adult daughter before she passed away. InThe Boys, this just added to her backstory and made her a layered villain, but a villain nonetheless.
One of the most interesting elements ofVought Risingis the promise that it will examine the early lives and careers of people like Soldier Boy and Stormfront.
Vought Risingis going to have the challenge of exploring this side of Stormfront, while also ensuring that it doesn’t make her into a character who is worthy of so much sympathy. Of course, most villains don’t think of themselves as a villain, and they tend to have real motives, but itdoesn’t alter that Stormfront knowingly and willingly caused pain, destruction, and devastation for many. IfVought Risinghumanizes her character too much, it could dull the impact of her role in the original show.
Will Stormfront return for The Boys season 5?
San Diego Comic-Con brought word that Aya Cash’s Stormfront will be returning to The Boys universe with the prequel show Vought Rising, exploring the origins of the titular organization, as well as Jensen Ackles' Soldier Boy. Though season 3 claimed that the character committed suicide off-screen, I do think the door is still open for Stormfront to return in The Boys season 5, particularly now that Homelander is in a higher position of political power, which could see him learn that both Vought and the government were actually keeping the former Seven member hidden while trying to heal her.
Too Many Prequels Make The Mistake Of Softening Major Villains
Stormfront Is A Villain For A Reason
With so many shows expanding and attempting to build a universe, it makes sense that they often dive into the antagonists' backstory. However, it does drastically alter the perception of these villains when seeing them in the original show. Aseries could have created a wonderful and rich dynamicbetween its hero and their rival, but making the villains sympathetic only serves to make the hero look more reckless and irrational, while it makes the villain into a victim of circumstance.
Storytelling should be rich and complex, with characters going beyond one-dimensional figures, but there are times when this can hurt a show. If the original series didn’t do a good enough job expanding the villains and making them layered, then it is not the job of the prequels or spin-offs to expand the characters and change the dynamics across the board.The Boyshas a shot at creating another hit series withVought Rising, but if it fails to make the villains as profoundly evil as the original, then that’s a problem.
Vought Rising
Cast
Vought Rising explores the origins of Vought in the 1950s, depicting early exploits of Soldier Boy and the sinister actions of a Supe known as Stormfront, initially named Clara Vought. This murder mystery dives into the complex history and dark legacy of its central characters.
