Why Isn’t Patrick Schwarzenegger in ‘Gen V’ Season 2?

Patrick Schwarzenegger debuted as Golden Boy in Gen V season 1, but won’t be making a golden return in Gen V season 2.

The Boys spinoff centers around a group of superpowered college students who get involved in a mystery surrounding a virus that can kill superheroes, or “supes.” Gen V season 1 featured stars like Jaz Sinclair as the blood-powered Marie Mareau, Chance Perdomo as the electromagnetic-powered Andre Anderson and Lizze Broadway as the size-changing Emma Meyer a.k.a. Little Cricket.

Schwarzenegger played the seemingly sociable yet mentally tortured Golden Boy a.k.a. Luke Riordan, in episode 1 of Gen V, but his character died at the end of the episode. The White Lotus actor’s character may have departed the show early, but he continued to appear via flashbacks and as his brother Sam Riordan’s (Asa Germann) conscience in the season finale.

While Schwarzenegger won’t be reprising his role for season 2, he’s previously spoken about knowing his character would have a limited presence in the show.

During his audition for Gen V, the show’s creators told Schwarzenegger, “‘Oh, by the way we’re going to kill you at the end of the first episode,’ ” Schwarzenegger revealed on the Happy Sad Confused podcast in February 2025. “I was like, ‘Ok great, so it’s a one-episode arc?’ and they’re like, ‘Well, we might bring the character back in certain scenes and certain this and this.’ ”

So why isn’t Patrick Schwarzenegger in Gen V season 2? Here’s everything to know about his character’s absence and whether he will return to Gen V.

Why isn’t Patrick Schwarzenegger in Gen V season 2?

Schwarzenegger’s character Golden Boy died at the end of the first episode, but continued to appear in the series through flashbacks, pre-recorded video and via his brother Sam’s hallucinations. In the Gen V season 1 finale, Golden Boy even tries to stop Sam from killing humans after Sam is convinced all humans are bad and want supes dead.

Now that Sam has joined Homelander’s (Antony Starr) band of supes detaining humans at the end of The Boys season 4, it appears even more likely that Sam may need his brother’s guidance. However, it turns out Sam will have to wait as Schwarzenegger won’t be back in season 2 of Gen V.

Schwarzenegger revealed in February 2025 that the reason he won’t return is due to scheduling conflicts.

“No, I wish [I was in Gen V season 2], but I was, we were actually filming White Lotus at the same time that they were filming Gen V,” Schwarzenegger told Screen Rant.

What has Patrick Schwarzenegger said about Gen V?

Schwarzenegger was associated with The Boys universe long before the show hit the small screen. The actor initially auditioned for the role of Homelander before the 2019 debut of The Boys.

It was his old audition that inspired casting directors to call him back for a role in the spinoff.

“When they were doing the Gen V spinoff, they came to me saying, ‘We know you auditioned for [Homelander] and we remember it and we want you to audition for this Golden Boy,’ ” Schwarzenegger shared on the Happy Sad Confused podcast.

He continued, “It was just kind of positioned as he was going to be this kind of a miniature version of Homelander, but he was honestly like a really good kid and a really nice, genuine person, and he was kind of struggling with having to become part of that superhero and that kind of level of fame.”

Could Patrick Schwarzenegger reprise his role in Gen V season 3?

If there is a season 3 of Gen V, it appears that both Schwarzenegger and the show’s creators would be open to a Golden Boy return. Schwarzenegger could continue appearing via flashbacks or as Sam or even former girlfriend Cate Dunlap’s (Maddie Phillips) conscience.

In a world of superheroes and shapeshifting heroes, it’s even possible Golden Boy could be revived or impersonated.

“It didn’t work out [for season 2 of Gen V],” Schwarzenegger told Screen Rant. “But maybe season three or some other time.”