Season 3 of The Boys is set to premiere on June 3 of this year. With familiar faces and new faces enticing fans in the recently released teaser, anticipation for the action is building. Soldier Boy, who is played by Jensen Ackles from the hit drama series Supernatural, is one of the numerous new characters. Jensen will play Vought Corporation’s very first Supe, donning the mask, body armour, and shield of an 80-year-old superhero.
Jensen Ackles finished his 15-season series Supernatural in 2019 and immediately began working on this exciting new project with long-time friend and Supernatural Producer Eric Kripke. Eric says he’s excited to collaborate with his pal, he said, “I was talking to him about something completely unrelated and said, ‘Hey, I’m about to be unemployed. Got anything for me on The Boys?’ to which he (Eric Kripke) answered, ‘Let me think about it because I don’t know if I want you for a solo guest spot. Maybe I’ve got something a little bit juicier for you.’”
Jensen Ackles discusses how his forthcoming part in The Boys Season 3 as Soldier Boy examines the consequences of toxic masculinity.In an interview with SFX Magazine, Ackles discussed how his character contributes to the discussion of toxic masculinity. He said, “The other thing I would say is Soldier Boy really lends himself to an interesting discussion of toxic masculinity. So often, power means fronting as this macho illusion that never existed. Especially in the States, we put so much stock in this Western cowboy, John Wayne, Marlboro Man myth. It’s such bullshit. It’s raised generation after generation of fucked-up men, who can’t live up to it.” He continued, “It’s been interesting to explore that through Soldier Boy. What is that notion of power that men are supposed to carry, but has done as much damage to our society as anything else?”
In August 2020, it was revealed that Ackles would appear in the third season of The Boys as Soldier Boy, Vaught Industries’ first superhero. Ackles previously described his character as “a grandpa” in an interview, adding, , “He’s from the ’40s. He fought in World War II, and he’s just this curmudgeon, bigoted asshole. He doesn’t age, so he’s this 40-year-old superhero who’s really 80 years old or 90 years old.”