Gen V‘s second season just got more exciting as The Deep is confirmed to appear in its next installment, but this sets up a dark future for the show after The Boys season 4’s ending.

Screen Rant attended The Boys‘ San Diego Comic-Con panel, where the franchise made a number of announcements, including a new spinoff show, Jensen Ackles’ future as Soldier Boy, and what’s next for Gen V. Alongside teasing some interesting story details, Gen V season 2’s cast received a significant update as Chace Crawford will once again reprise his role as The Deep.

The Deep had a small cameo in season 1, but his role in the spinoff seems much more crucial this time around. Rather than showing up to pay tribute to Richard Brinkerhoff, Crawford’s character looks like he will directly influence the story when the series returns, creating a troublesome future for Marie and her friends. Gen V season 1’s ending already put the protagonists in a worrying situation after Homelander’s interference left them in an unknown facility, but The Deep’s confirmed involvement means things may get even worse in season 2, assuming they are officially on The Seven’s radar.

The Deep In Gen V Season 2 Confirms The Boys Season 4’s Bleak Ending Will Continue

The Seven’s Presence In Gen V Season 2 Confirms The Main Cast Will Face The Same Challenges As The Boys’ Protagonists

Cate and Sam’s cameos in The Boys season 4’s ending perfectly set up Gen V season 2, and the franchise’s bleak tone looks set to continue into the spinoff thanks to The Deep. While The Boys has always been a gory and high-risk show, there has been no shortage of humor to help prevent the franchise from getting too dark. In between the protagonist’s life-threatening attempts to take down Vought’s powerful supes, The Boys has found time for plenty of parodies and satire. However, season 4 ended on a pessimistic note, as the majority of the main characters were captured.

Although Homelander’s plan didn’t go exactly as he imagined, he was still able to take control of America and round up most of his enemies, setting up a fascinating final season. Gen V could have provided some more optimism by having its characters begin the revolt against Homelander’s supe army, but this doesn’t appear to be the direction the show is going in. The inclusion of The Deep suggests that he could be looking for Marie after her escape in Gen V season 2, with the antagonist potentially following orders to track her down.

The Deep may not be The Boys‘ most menacing villain, but his unwavering loyalty to The Seven means he would have no problem taking out some college students. As a result, his presence all but confirms that the spinoff’s central characters won’t have much safety, setting up a bleak tone for season 2.

The Deep Was Way Darker At The End Of The Boys Season 4

The Boys Season 4 Turned The Deep Into A Real Killer

Despite The Deep being a comic relief character for the majority of his time on The Boys, he fully embraced his dark side at the end of season 4. The Deep has committed some truly horrific acts and is one of the show’s most irredeemable villains, but his insecurities have always held him back from seeming like a credible threat. Alongside being one of The Seven’s weakest members, he has been a bit of a punching bag among his peers and even Ashley at times, but this changed during season 4’s finale.

He happily murdered a large percentage of Vought’s staff at Homelander’s command and even tried to take down Butcher and Starlight. Killing Ambrosius despite being in a romantic relationship with her confirmed The Deep had officially reached his point of no return, making him more menacing than ever. He will still likely have his goofy personality and provide some hilarious moments, but the supe definitely became darker during The Boys‘ final season. Therefore, he could be a serious problem in Gen V season 2, putting the protagonists in serious danger.