“That pales in comparison to what his friends and loved ones are going through,” says executive producer Eric Kripke. “It’s the least we could do.”

The unexpected death of Gen V star Chance Perdomo has been a hard pill to swallow for everyone involved in The Boys spinoff series. “I really feel for the actors because they were such a family,” executive producer Eric Kripke tells Entertainment Weekly. “I know it’s really hard on a lot of them.”

On top of dealing with the emotional toll, the creatives behind the show were faced with a massive undertaking. After his death its producers announced that, instead of recasting Perdomo’s lead character Andre Anderson, they planned to “re-craft” season 2 storylines to pay tribute to him.

“It’s been challenging, to say the least,” Kripke says. “We were a week away from shooting when Chance passed away tragically. So we had to almost rethink everything, and in just a matter of weeks. But what I tell people when they say ‘wow, that’s really crazy or difficult’ [is] that pales in comparison to what his friends and loved ones are going through. It’s the least we could do.”

Perdomo’s Andre was a big presence in season 1, which followed the students at Godolkin University, the premier college dedicated to molding the minds of young supes. Blood-manipulating Marie Moreau (Perdomo’s former Chilling Adventures of Sabrina costar Jaz Sinclair) arrived as an incoming freshman and quickly got caught up in a sinister plot. The dean had been locking up super-powered kids in a secret underground facility to test out a virus that can kill supes.

Andre, with his power to manipulate metal, was one of Godolkin’s star pupils until he helped Marie and their friends uncover the truth. The season ended with Marie, Andre, gender-shifting Jordan (London Thor/Derek Luh), and size-altering Emma (Lizze Broadway) locked away in an undisclosed location after they tried to stop Cate (Maddie Phillips) and Sam (Asa Germann) from unleashing hell on campus.

“As we continue to navigate the tragic loss of Chance Perdomo, everyone at Gen V is determined to find the best way to pay respect to his memory,” a joint statement from the show’s producers, released earlier this month, read. “We won’t be recasting the role, because no one can replace Chance. Instead, we have been taking the time and space to re-craft our season 2 storylines as we begin production in May. We will honor Chance and his legacy this season.”

Many of the series’ actors, including Sean Patrick Thomas, who plays Andre’s Gen V dad, have celebrated Perdomo. “Our hearts are with Chance’s loved ones as we grieve this shocking loss,” a joint statement from the troupe read. “We will remember the special moments we had together, his infectious smile that could light up any room, his warm hugs, and the authenticity he carried with him always. Rest in peace, dear friend. You will be deeply missed.”

“The pain and the hardship really is with the people who loved him,” Kripke tells EW. “My heart goes out to them. It’s all so tragic and horrible, so if we can just honor him and present his character as the hero that he was, then that’s a small token for what his loved ones are experiencing right now.”

Gen V season 2 will start filming this year.