Gen V has always excelled at subverting audience expectations. In the penultimate episode of its second season, the true nature of Godolkin University’s dean, Cipher (Hamish Linklater), is finally revealed. True to form, the show delivers a shock: Cipher is nothing more than an “organic puppet” controlled by the university’s founder, Thomas Godolkin.
Behind this stunning revelation lies an equally delightful casting secret. The series’ true big bad is played by Ethan Slater, a relatively young name but a Broadway superstar. Slater earned a Tony Award nomination in 2018 for his unforgettable role as SpongeBob in SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical. Pairing the menacing Hamish Linklater with an actor known for playing SpongeBob as the mastermind of the show’s darkest villainy is a testament to the casting director’s genius.
Cipher’s story also echoes the satirical take on Marvel’s Charles Xavier found in The Boys comics. In Gen V, Thomas Godolkin is reimagined as a brilliant mind-controller confined by his own body’s limitations, a twisted version of Xavier. Cipher’s obsession with Marie Moreau’s blood-control ability ties directly to Godolkin’s desire to overcome his own physical constraints.
This twist underscores that Gen V is more than a superhero series—it’s a multilayered work of art packed with pop culture references and sharply written scripts.
Series Details:
Show: Gen V (Season 2)
Platform: Prime Video
Characters: Cipher (Hamish Linklater), Thomas Godolkin (Ethan Slater)
Themes: Mind Control, Trauma, and Pop Culture Critique
Note: Before portraying Godolkin, Ethan Slater also played Munchkin Boq in Wicked: Part I.
