This text comprises spoilers by way of the primary three episodes of “Gen V” season 2: “New 12 months, New U,” “Justice By no means Forgets,” and “H Is for Human.”
We would already caught just a few glimpses of him within the marketing material for “Gen V” season 2, however the three-episode opening salvo confirms it: Zach McGowan’s Dogknott is to Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine what Homelander (Antony Starr) is to Superman. Granted, he hasn’t whipped out any metallic claws simply but, and he appears to attract his animalistic traits from canines as a substitute of wherever Wolverine’s comparable qualities come from. (Absolutely, at this level, it is not precise wolverines?) Nonetheless, the way in which Dogknott appears, carries himself, and wears his skin-tight leather-based getup is proof sufficient that “The Boys” actually needs you to know who’s in its parody crosshairs this time. Amazingly, the franchise is not content material with simply introducing a Wolverine expy. It additionally manages to make Dogknott a parody of Canine the Bounty Hunter, as a result of … effectively, he is a growly bounty hunter who carries round a ton of bounty hunter gear, and his identify is … you get it.
Even by the property’s lofty ridiculousness requirements, a Wolverine-Canine the Bounty Hunter mashup who’s additionally method too into precise canines is a good flex. All the identical, Dogknott one way or the other is not the cruelest Wolverine parody the franchise has launched. That honor belongs to Groundhawk, a member of the G-Males, i.e. the “Boys” comedian’s brutal grooming cult parody of the X-Males. Groundhawk’s stature, costume, and aggressive demeanor make him instantly recognizable as a Wolverine expy, and to take issues even additional, the comedian additionally makes him feral and borderline incapable of clever ideas. Oh, and as a substitute of claws, he has hammers for arms, and to underline his gruffness, he is solely ever heard spouting the vaguely threatening catchphrase “Gonna.” It is not a delicate comedian, okay?
Each Groundhawk and Dogknott have alternate variations, too
As if two separate Wolverine parodies weren’t sufficient, each Dogknott and Groundhawk even have alternate and noticeably completely different variations working round in different corners of the “Boys” franchise. The comedian model of Dogknott is a rowdy teenager with dog-like bodily traits and has extra in widespread with the X-Males’s Beast than Wolverine. He and his “darker and edgier” superhero group, Teenage Kix, additionally find yourself within the Boys’ crosshairs early within the story, with outcomes which might be as wicked as they’re violent.
Groundhawk (voiced by “Futurama” star John DiMaggio) truly receives an improve on “The Boys: Diabolical.” Whereas he nonetheless has hammers for arms, his design is not actually harking back to Wolverine. Right here, he is technically a supervillain who faces off in opposition to the hero couple Nubia (Aisha Tyler) and the Nubian Prince (Don Cheadle). Secretly, nonetheless, he is good associates with them. Their complete antagonistic dynamic is engineered by Vought, and Groundhawk is truly a reasonably good and supportive dude whenever you get previous his tough exterior.
Since “Diabolical” already tells Groundhawk’s story, it is comprehensible that “Gen V” has chosen to revamp Dogknott (a minor character who’s extraordinarily prone to seem on the mum or dad present at this level of the sport, what with “The Boys” ending after season 5) as a substitute Wolverine parody. It is nonetheless unclear how huge an element he will play within the present going ahead, however judging by his immediate defeat at the hands of Starlight (Erin Moriarty) in “Gen V” season 2, he has not less than one distinct distinction from Wolverine: In distinction to the X-Man, Dogknott may be very unlikely to hijack all the story.
“Gen V” season 2 is now streaming on Prime Video.