Marie Moreau is a fictional superheroine from the extended narrative universe of the Amazon Prime series The Boys. She is considered a so-called Supe, a human with supernatural powers that are the result of human experimentation. Marie Moreau is played in The Boys and in Gen V by American actress Jaz Sinclair, who previously appeared in the film Paper Towns (2015) and in the series The Vampire Diaries (2017), among others. In Gen V, her starring role puts her in the narrative spotlight.
Marie Moreau first appeared in season 3 of the series The Boys. There, she briefly appears in episode 2, originally titled „The Only Man in the Sky.“ Almost to be overlooked, her portrait is called up in a database. Listed is her as an orphan housed in the so-called Red River Institute. The portrait, with the name Marie M., is the first impression many viewers will have of Gen V’s eventual leading lady.
The character’s well-planned establishment in The Boys eventually heralds the plot of the Gen V series. Set in the narrative cosmos of The Boys, Gen V is based on comic books 23 through 30 of the series written by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, which have become known as the „We Gotta Go Now“ story arc. The streaming series delves into the world of Godolkin University, an American college dedicated to training young superheroes. Special focus is given, among others, to Marie Moreau, who is endowed with extraordinary powers.
The powers of Marie Moreau
As a Supe, Marie Moreau can draw on supernatural powers. Her special ability is blood manipulation, which is also called „hemokinesis“ in the original. This allows her to influence her own or other people’s blood through her psychic power. Blood that runs from an open wound she can shape according to her ideas and use that as an extension of her body. This unusual and macabre ability allows her to manipulate organic beings – weakening and strengthening them. To this ability is added supernatural strength, high endurance, as well as a special healing power associated with blood manipulation.
Marie Moreau looks back on a tragic childhood. She loses her parents when she discovers her superpowers. Consequence is estrangement from her sister and life in an orphanage. The loss of parents is a classic motif of superhero narratives, ranging from Batman and Spider-Man to Jessica Jones. Moreau suffers fundamentally from the trauma of her childhood and is bound by physical limitations with her powers that do not make her invincible.
The plot of the Gen V series dives into the present day: Marie is a student at Godolkin University, also known by its abbreviated name God U. It was founded by the international conglomerate Vought International and specializes in the development and promotion of supes. The university is known for its intense competition: Only the best and most talented Supes get the chance to rise to powerful superheroes and become members of the famous Seven. The Gen V series highlights the conflicts and challenges faced by Marie Moreau and her contemporaries at God U.
Moreau in The Boys and Gen V
Marie’s appearance in The Boys is brief, indirect, and easy to miss. Her visage appears in episode 2 of season 3 within mentioned database: A Teaser of sorts for the series Gen V. Gen V, like series like Supernatural and The Boys before it, goes back to showrunner Eric Kripke. This spin-off opens up the facets of life at God U to viewers, with aspects of the narrative reminiscent of the famous Academy mutants in X-Men in an adult and uncompromising way. Cameos from the series original The Boys also stand out, such as those of The Deep (Chace Crawford) or A-Train (Jessie T. Usher).
Marie is not alone in the series, an ensemble of recurring characters populate the university. These include, for example, Andre Anderson (Chance Perdomo) with his magnetic powers, Enna Meyer (Lizze Broadway) with her dynamic height, Cate Dunlap (Maddie Phillips) with her telepathic power, or Jordan Li (Derek Luh, London Thor) with the power to switch between male and female aspects. Also, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s son Patrick Schwarzenegger takes on a role as Golden Boy, who has mastered pyrokinesis.
Luke aka Golden Boy thereby defines the mystery of the first episodes of Gen V. In those first episodes, viewers learn more about the tragic backstory of Marie Moreau and her first days at the university. She gets to know her new roommate Emma Meyer and her classmates. Right away, her superpowers come in handy. Until Golden Boy brings existential chaos to the halls of the university. By the way, a second season of Gen V has been announced for October 2023. So more on Marie Moreau and her contemporaries can be expected on Amazon Prime.
Overview: Who is Marie Moreau?
Marie Moreau is considered a so-called Supe, a highly talented orphan with superpowers. Gen V takes a narrative look at her life at Godolkin University, inspired by the comic book original by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. The protagonist benefits from the powerful forces of blood manipulation, which also informed the tragedy of her childhood due to the death of her parents. Unlike the minimal cameo in the series The Boys, Marie Moreau thus becomes one of the main characters in the Amazon Prime series Gen V.