The Boys is currently airing its third season, one episode per week. With the long-awaited Herogasm finally happening in the show, fans are eagerly waiting for Fridays to watch how this story unfolds. The series is a dark satire of superheroes and today's society, and it has created a surprisingly meticulous in-world cinematic universe mostly related to the Seven, which is basically the Avengers or the Justice League of that world. Just like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there is a shared universe of fictional movies and shows which are interconnected within The Boys and termed the Vought Cinematic Universe.
The term Vought comes from the multi-billion company Vought International, which created the superheroes that, like the evil fictional corporation, have great power over people. As most companies would, Vought created a series of movies and television shows to promote their product, 'supes,' or superheroes, even having merchandise for each supe. Here is how the Vought Cinematic Universe works inside The Boys and how it has somewhat translated to real-life spin-off projects.
Fake Movies and Shows Inside The Boys
When watching The Boys, there is a feeling of being inside a complete universe. One of the reasons why that happens is the careful way the world was constructed, with the showrunners well aware of every detail that can enhance the storytelling. One of them is the movies and television series in The Boys that have been made about supes. In almost every episode there are posters, trailers, promo interviews, and outdoor propaganda about the new TV series or movies about (mostly) the Seven, and each superhero tends to have their own fictional film franchise. One of the best ways to be up-to-date with supe information is by watching the Vought News Network, which the characters do regularly.
There are a lot of movies about the supes, as in real life with DC and Marvel characters. This is funny because in real life, even though there are no superheroes, the premieres and movies are a big (if not bigger) deal than in Vought Cinematic Universe where these superheroes exist. One of the most commented upon movies in the show (so far) is Dawn of the 7. The characters were seen shooting the movie in multiple scenes. Some movies are only mentioned, such as Homelander's movie series. The all-American villain and now co-captain of the Seven mentions them to his kid while trying to bond with him. It goes as far as Vought having a theme park, which is very similar to the Avenger's Campus on Disney.
Another important medium in The Boys' world is television. There are contests, such as the singing contest that decided who would be in the Seven, American Hero. The show was a clear parody of famous singing competition shows, such as American Idol. But there are also fiction shows that use the supes' abilities to tell a story, such as The Mesmerizer, or fictionalized series based on the in-world book Deeper, that tells The Deep's version of the story of how he escaped the Church of the Collective. Another important television program is Seven on 7, presented by Cameron Coleman, that follows the supes news.
Real Spin-Offs of The Boys
The Emmy-nominated show is one of Prime Video's best TV series and arguably its biggest success. As is expected with popular and carefully crafted shows, there are actual spin-off series available to watch and in production. One of them is the animated show The Boys Presents: Diabolical. The anthology series takes place in the Vought Cinematic Universe and looks at Vought Industries and some characters in the show, and the actors from The Boys also voice their characters in the spin-off series. Some episodes could be placed in the timeline of the original show, but most adventures in Diabolical are not related to the show, as often happens in comic books. Each episode has a different animation style.
If the viewer is eager to rewatch news, informative videos, movie trailers, or see in-world interviews of their favorite characters that appeared on the show, now they can. Vought International has a YouTube channel that posts content about the characters on the show and has some wonderfully produced trailers for fictional movies in the VCU. Vought News Network programs with Cameron Coleman are available to watch as well, and fans of The Boys can also find music videos made by the characters, such as Crimson Countess singing 'Chimps Don't Cry.'
There is another new spin-off series based on the show, called The Boys Presents: Varsity. There isn't much material released about the new show, but it is a college-set spin-off of The Boys and should premiere on Prime Video next year. The series should follow young adults who are tested at Godolkin University School of Crimefighting, which is run by none other than Vought International. Some characters from the original show should make appearances in the spin-off series. Another actual project from The Boys is the scripted Audible podcast called The Boys: Deeper and Deeper, where The Deep and his wife Cassandra discuss his memoir.
Regardless if it is inside the world of the series or the actual spin-offs, The Boys is one of the most immersive TV shows available to stream today thanks to its clever and vast Vought Cinematic Universe. Credit must also be given to the source material, proving that comic books remain a great source for adaptations to the big and small screen, and The Boys uses them really well.