Star Jensen Ackles says Soldier Boy could return in The Boys season 4 following his debut in season 3 of Amazon’s hit comic book adaptation. The character appeared in Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s graphic novels as the leader of the lower-tier superhero team Payback and is frequently depicted as a more innocent foil to the corrupt heroes around him, never using foul language and opting out of the Herogasm parties. There have been two iterations of Soldier Boy in The Boys, the first being the leader of a Payback prototype known as the Avenging Squad in World War II that caused the massacre of his team and the American soldiers they were to support.
Supernatural creator Eric Kripke serves as the showrunner for The Boys, having developed the TV adaptation with producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who had been eager to get their hands on the material since its debut in 2006. Ackles joins a star-studded roster that also includes Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Laz Alonso, Tomer Capon, Karen Fukuhara, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Dominique McElligott, Chace Crawford, Jessie T. Usher and Nathan Mitchell. The Boys has received rave reviews from critics and audiences alike in its two seasons on the air and fans are currently gearing up for its season 3 return.
While appearing on Michael Rosenbaum’s Inside of You podcast, Jensen Ackles opened up about his journey to join Amazon’s The Boys. When asked about his potential future with the series, the star noted he wasn’t sure of plans at the time, but hinted Soldier Boy could return in a potential season 4. See what Ackles said below:
“I don’t know [if I’ll come back]. The door is not closed, I’ll put it that way. It’ll depend on how it all cuts together, I haven’t seen anything cut together, but I’ve gotten some great feedback from those that need to be impressed.”
Ackles’ arrival as Soldier Boy has been a point of major anticipation for both The Boys and Supernatural fans going into season 3. Not only does the star’s performance mark a reunion with Supernatural creator Eric Kripke, but it also serves as his first major role following the conclusion of the long-running CW fantasy drama. Soldier Boy is also one of the more interesting side characters in The Boys comics for his work as a parody of Marvel’s Captain America, though with the show setting him up as a worse character than that of Homelander, there is curiosity as to how these changes will serve the story.
Soldier Boy’s inclusion in The Boys season 3 also marks the latest member of the Payback team from the comics to appear in the show, with the infamous Stormfront having served as a main antagonist of season 2 played by Aya Cash. With Stormfront having confirmed to still be alive in the series and plenty of teases setting up her return, Ackles’ tease that the door isn’t closed on Soldier Boy’s future in the show does establish an exciting storyline for the character. Audiences won’t have to wait much longer as The Boys season 3 is set to premiere on Prime Video on June 3.
