In 2019, Lizze Broadway was at San Diego Comic-Con when the whispers started. “The young come. The young A few minutes later, actors like Karl Urban and Jack Quaid walked by seemingly in slow motion. “For a show I knew nothing about, that moment really stands out in my mind,” says Broadway, who plays size-changer Emma. Four years later, Broadway and her colleagues were preparing to screen Amazon’s college set The young spin off, Gen Vat their own Comic-Con panel – a chance to convince the approximately 4,800 fans of this The young that were packed into the convention center that the new series would be just as raunchy and violent as the Mothership. The strike ruined that. But months later the… Gen V Team tells THR how it would have turned out.
What moment from the first season did you want to showcase?
MICHELE FAZEKAS (Showrunner) We had a lot of body parts explode. It would have been hilarious to see a collective reaction to that.
PATRICK SCHWARZENEGGER (Luke “Golden Boy” Riordan) Selfishly, I would have liked to see the end of the pilot where my character blows himself up. It’s such a catalyzing moment and so unexpected that I would have loved to see the reaction in real time.
Any jokes that only die-hard fans might have noticed in retrospect?
FAZEKAS There’s always a stupid joke about a security guard named Bob. Nobody gets Bob’s name right. People always confuse other people with Bob. In the end, Bob is blasted into oblivion by Sam with a punch to the face [Asa Germann]. I always wonder if people notice that!
Which co-stars would have fostered chemistry on social media?
CHANCE PERDOMO (Andre Anderson) I know for a fact that Lizze and I would freak each other out. You definitely would have seen a sweet bromance from Asa and Derek too.
JAZ SINCLAIR (Marie Moreau) I can see London Thor and Derek Luh [who play, respectively, the female and male versions of bi-gender superhero Jordan Li] Interaction would have been a pleasure. They are so in sync.
SHELLEY CONN (Dean Indira Shetty) This show is an ensemble and I think there is great chemistry between everyone. I have to say I’m so impressed with how well Derek and London worked together, I’m sure fans would have loved to see them both together and as individuals.
LONDON THOR (female Jordan Li) I have never seen a friendship as strong and beautiful as the one between Derek and Asa. They are like Abbott and Costello of the modern age. They play off each other so well that sometimes when the three of us spend time together I feel like a third wheel.
ASA GERMANN (Sam) I’m pretty sure everyone else in the cast will say it’s Derek and me, but please don’t be fooled. We do not understand each other. We’re not best friends. We don’t spend much time together. The rumors are not true.
Is there a surprise? The young Actor: Who would have been on your wish list to stop by during the panel discussion?
DEREK LUH (bad Jordan Li) I would have been very happy for Karen [Fukuhara] to show up with us. Not just because she’s the baddest in the series, but because I love her. She’s gorgeous!
What was it like watching the show hit without being able to publicly acknowledge it?
SINCLAIR It was bittersweet. The desire to be part of this excitement was huge. I want to say, “Oh my God, guys, look what we did!” To celebrate all of our hard work and how damn cool the show turned out. But there was also an appeal in being able to observe everything behind a curtain.
MADDIE PHILLIPS (Cate Dunlap) Seeing the show become a hit with fans was truly heartwarming and feels like the culmination of an already entertaining and fulfilling experience. Being cast on a series is a daunting thing, and even more daunting when it’s a spin-off of a beloved series, so I’m incredibly grateful for the reception.
GERMAN Overall, it was strangely great to watch people experience the show without our outside interference. When Gen V was actually released, it had been about a year since we all finished filming, so it was really special to be able to relive it with the audience in this way.
This story first appeared in the Dec. 15 issue The Hollywood Reporter Magazine. Click here to login.
