Gen V Co-Creator Reveals The One Character Who Nearly Returned From The Dead
Gen V almost pulled off a resurrection. Co-creator Eric Kripke says a Season 1 casualty nearly returned for Season 2 — and he names the character.
Gen V almost pulled a classic TV move and brought back a dead favorite for Season 2. Eric Kripke says Patrick Schwarzenegger’s Luke Riordan, aka Golden Boy, was this close to popping back up — and not in a cheap retcon way either — until a scheduling mess shut it down.
How they planned to bring back Golden Boy
Kripke says the writers actually worked up Season 2 outlines that included Golden Boy in a couple of dream sequences. He even admits he doesn’t remember whose head we were going to be inside — likely Sam’s — but Golden Boy was in there, on the page, ready to burn bright again.
The thing that killed it
The White Lotus Season 3. Schwarzenegger was tied up shooting that and doing the press gauntlet, and the calendars just wouldn’t line up. Kripke’s version of events was a little more playful:
"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."
Jokes aside, the result was simple: they couldn’t make the dates work.
Quick refresher on Golden Boy
Luke dies by suicide in the Gen V pilot, but he still shows up in later Season 1 episodes in different contexts. So, the idea of seeing him in someone’s dreams for Season 2 tracks — especially for a show that likes to blur what’s real and what’s a trauma response.
So, could he return later?
Kripke sounds very open to it. He says Schwarzenegger, 32, has checked in with the team and has been nothing but great to work with. In his words, he’d bring him back in a heartbeat. If they find the right story — and the schedule gods cooperate — don’t be shocked if Golden Boy sparks up again down the line.
Where Gen V sits in The Boys universe
If you’re catching up: Gen V is a spin-off of The Boys, which itself is based on the comics by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. Gen V riffs loosely on the We Gotta Go Now arc from the books, but, like The Boys, it plays fast and loose in smart ways.
Gen V Seasons 1 and 2 are streaming now on Amazon Prime Video.