With his close relationship with the show's creator, Jensen Ackles knows of the other names considered to play Soldier Boy for The Boys season 3. Though having appeared in everything from Smallville to Dark Angel, Ackles rose to stardom with his lead role in The CW horror-fantasy series Supernatural, having starred in the long-running show as Dean Winchester, one of the two brothers traveling across the country hunting down monsters. Following the conclusion of the latter series, Ackles starred in The Boys season 3 as Soldier Boy, one of the world's first Supes possessing superhuman strength, speed and the ability to release an explosive force, resurfacing after nearly 60 years when the titular group find him cryogenically frozen while searching for a weapon to take down Homelander.
Ackles joined an already star-studded cast with The Boys season 3 that also includes Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Dominique McElligott, Jessie T. Usher, Chace Crawford, Laz Alonso, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara and Nathan Mitchell. Across its three seasons, The Boys has scored critical acclaim for its world-building, effective adaptation of Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson's graphic novels, the performances of its cast and consistently increasing the stakes. As The Boys franchise continues to grow at Prime Video with a season 4 renewal and college-set spinoff Gen V, one star is reflecting on their efforts to join the series.
In a recent interview with Men's Health, Jensen Ackles opened up about his journey to be cast in The Boys season 3. The Soldier Boy actor revealed that creator/showrunner Eric Kripke told him the big-name actors considered for his part before him, though has a key reason why he can't share them. See what Ackles said below:
"Usually you're going through casting directors and network studio execs, and all that stuff. But I had a direct line to the showrunner [Eric Kripke]. I do know that there were some names that I think the network was considering. There was a short list of names. And when [Kripke] read off a few of those names to me, I was like, 'Oh, well, there's no way. I don't have a shot at this.' Oh, no [I can't tell you who]. Those are movie stars. I'd get us both blacklisted. If we ever meet in private, I'll whisper in your ear."
Given Kripke and Ackles' prior relationship working on Supernatural, it may not come as much of a surprise that the show's creator kept his former star and friend in mind for Soldier Boy during the development of bringing the character to The Boys. While Ackles may be exaggerating a bit in his reason for why he can't reveal the big-name actors that almost played Soldier Boy, his note that there were movie stars being eyed for the role does come as an interesting tease of what could've been for season 3 of the series. With The Boys season 3 premiere having seen Charlize Theron provide her second superhero cameo of 2022 alongside Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness while later episodes included Patton Oswalt, Mila Kunis and more, it's clear the series can attract major talent.
Though some may still be curious to learn who else was considered for Soldier Boy, Ackles being cast in the role for The Boys season 3 proved to be a welcome addition for fans of the series and star. The former Supernatural star scored rave reviews for his performance as Soldier Boy and with the season 3 finale setting up a bigger confrontation between him and Homelander heading into season 4, anticipation is high for both his and the show's return. In the meantime, audiences can catch up on or revisit The Boys season 3 streaming in its entirety on Prime Video now.
Source: Men's Health