Bruce Campbell's Superhero TV Show Idea Would Be The Perfect Counter To Gen V

Summary

Sky High and Gen V explore themes of teenage superpowers, one with a family-friendly approach while the other is R-rated.
A Sky High TV series could offer a diverse range of character stories, catering to a wider audience than a movie sequel.
Gen V targets adults and older teens, leaving out younger viewers, while Sky High could provide a teen-friendly alternative.

Gen V has given us a look into how a group of college students would act if given superpowers. The spinoff of The Boys is just as raunchy and R-rated as the original. Sky High, on the other hand, dealt with similar themes of superhero adolescence with a much more PG slant. Though the film was released in 2005, the concept has since brought back into public discourse, with Bruce Campbell recently pitching an idea for a sequel Sky High series.

Sky High focused on the children of superheroes whose classes were decided based on their powers. Those with dominant powers were deemed heroes, and those with weaker powers were considered sidekicks. Like in Gen V, those with dominant powers are considered the top of the class, and everyone naturally aspires to be around them.

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Bruce Campbell’s Sky High TV Show Idea Would Perfectly Counter Gen V

Sky High Could Focus on Similar Themes In A More Family-Friendly Way

Gen V’s appeal is clearly to adults and older teens. However, the series having that target audience unfortunately leaves out younger teenagers and children close to or near middle school age. For that reason, Sky High could be the teen dramedy answer to Gen V. Much of Gen V‘s focus is on how the students have learned to navigate complicated relationships with their parents. Sky High could deal with similar issues but with fewer exploding heads.

Disney+ has proven that it can adapt fantasy works aimed at tweens in a way that does not dumb down the material. Percy Jackson and the Olympians deals with similar themes of complicated parental relationships and learning to control powers. In the hands of great writers, Sky High can effectively show the angst accompanying being a teenager with the added pressure of knowing they’ll have to save the world at some point.

Why A Sky High TV Show Would Work Better Than A Movie Sequel

Sky High Has The Ability To Tell Multiple Stories

Films typically must focus solely on one character, and the development of the other characters is typically in service of the protagonist. A TV series would allow Sky High to delve into the stories of multiple characters. High school feels different for every student. A piece focused on high school is richer with varied perspectives. A movie sequel would have to spend a lot of time focusing on the nostalgic elements of the story, but a series can dive head-first into telling the story it wants to tell while sprinkling nostalgic Easter eggs throughout the season.

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Gen V follows the students of Godolkin University, and it introduces many new Supes whose powers range from almost useless to super strong.

A sequel movie would likely focus on the original cast, limiting the scope for exploring diverse experiences. A TV show can seamlessly weave in narratives of students from different backgrounds, showcasing a wider range of superpowers and the unique challenges they bring. This inclusivity not only enriches the storytelling but also reflects the diversity of real-world high school experiences.

A Sky High TV show offers a strong alternative to Gen V‘s mature themes by catering to a younger audience hungry for superhero narratives. Television shows aimed at younger teens can still explore complex themes with nuance. The episodic format would allow Sky High to captivate a new generation of viewers while paying homage to the beloved original film.

Sky High

Sky High is a 2005 comedy that follows the son of two famous superheroes as he attends a high school for student heroes. Michael Angarano stars alongside Danielle Panabaker, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kurt Russell, and Kelly Preston, with appearances by Bruce Campbell and Lynda Carter.

Gen V

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A spin-off of The Boys, Gen V is based on a story arc from the original comic series set in the TV series universe. Gen V follows a group of college students starting at a Vought International-created school for superheroes, where students compete in increasingly dangerous challenges to win a hero contract in the highest-paying and most coveted city locations. This happens as these young adults try to understand their powers as they grow up and figure out where they fit into society.

Release Date: September 29, 2023
Franchise(s): The Boys