Jensen Ackles is coming back as Soldier Boy in The Boys season 4, supporting a major theory about the new season's villain. By the end of The Boys season 3, Soldier Boy is seemingly out of commission, with him being beaten unconscious by Billy Butcher and Homelander and subsequently being taken away by Grace Mallory. Soldier Boy was last seen sedated inside a secure facility, but Jensen Ackle's The Boys season 4 return hints that the character's story is far from over - and season 4's main villain may be the one to bring him back.
Former director of the Federal Bureau of Superhuman Affairs Victoria Neuman is set to be the main villain of The Boys season 4, with the season 3 finale setting up her position as the vice president for presidential candidate Robert Singer. While Victoria may seem like an ordinary politician, she holds a dark secret - she's actually the head-popping supe that attacked John Vogelbaum's congressional hearing. With Victoria's political career growing as she steps into the vice presidency, she may have the power to free Soldier Boy, using him for her own nefarious purposes. Viewers have long theorized that Victoria Neuman and Soldier Boy could eventually team up to take down the Boys and kill Homelander, and with Jensen Ackles' return, all the pieces are finally in place for this to happen in The Boys season 4.
Why Neuman & Soldier Boy Could Join Forces In The Boys S4
Although both Victoria Neuman and Soldier Boy both existed in The Boys universe during season 3, they only now have reason to join forces in season 4. After the events that occurred at Vought Tower, Soldier Boy has reason to hate Homelander and the Boys - Homelander because he replaced Soldier Boy, and the Boys because Billy Butcher betrayed him. While many characters hate either Homelander or Billy Butcher, Victoria Neuman is really the only other one who hates them both. She has shown to be confrontational with Homelander before, only helping him when forced to. Victoria hates the Boys due to Hughie's knowledge of her powers, with her starting to put the pieces together by the end of season 3. Victoria Neuman's political career is set to grow significantly in The Boys season 4, with her campaign being a significant focus of the story. If she is to become Vice President, Victoria would have the power to free Soldier Boy from the hands of the CIA, allowing the two to team up and be the big bads of season 4.
Soldier Boy Could Be Neuman's Homelander Contingency
While Victoria Neuman has started working with Homelander occasionally in The Boys season 3, with her giving him the location of Ryan, she still clearly doesn't trust him. While Victoria doesn't want to kill Homelander just yet, she may want to have a trump card in case things go wrong (as they typically do with Homelander). Soldier Boy, being the father of Homelander and one of the only people to almost beat him in a fight, would be a perfect contingency plan for Victoria. Soldier Boy already has reason to want to get revenge on Homelander, so as long as Victoria stays on his good side, he might be key to Victoria influencing Homelander.
How Neuman Working With Soldier Boy Would Change The Boys
Victoria Neuman working with Soldier Boy would have a lot of huge implications on The Boys season 4, but none of them are good for Hughie and the gang. Soldier Boy being close to Vice President Victoria Neuman would give him an unprecedented platform, allowing him to twist stories about his explosions and the battle at Vought Tower in favor of himself in the eyes of the public. On top of that, it would give Soldier Boy even more resources at his disposal, with him most likely focusing on revenge more than Neuman will. Freeing Soldier Boy may make Victoria more suspicious, though, as Grace Mallory would have to be curious as to why a supposedly anti-supe candidate would be releasing and working with one of the world's most dangerous supes. While Soldier Boy would be a good contingency plan for Victoria, teaming up could be a dangerous move, possibly leading to the reveal of her psychic powers. Overall, Victoria Neuman and Soldier Boy are two of the most powerful supes in The Boys, and their partnership could mean trouble for everyone in the show's universe. While nothing is confirmed, the Victoria Neuman setup alongside Jensen Ackles' return strongly suggests that Soldier Boy and the head popper might be joining forces in The Boys season 4.