Jensen Ackles' Soldier Boy outfit hides some crucial details about his role in The Boys season 3. As the creator of Supernatural, it's no surprise that Eric Kripke (The Boys showrunner), has brought a few familiar faces over to his new workplace. Amazon's superhero series has already featured Jim Beaver as Robert Singer, while Jeffrey Dean Morgan is slated to appear as soon as his The Walking Dead duties allow. The next Supernatural alum to join the fun is Dean Winchester himself, Jensen Ackles, who'll be donning the stars and stripes (not literally, as it turns out) to play Soldier Boy in The Boys season 3.
Hailing directly from the original comic series by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, Soldier Boy is largely known as a cowardly Vought hero and a pull-no-punches parody of Marvel's Captain America. Despite being reluctant to get his hands dirty, Soldier Boy aspires to be inducted into The Seven, but lacks the cold-hearted mindset of Homelander and friends, often falling victim to abuse from Vought's top superhero team. Before him, the "Soldier Boy" title was held by a short-lived World War II supe, and one other version. The Boys fans have been wondering how such a character could possibly translate into live-action, and though season 3 remains some way off, fresh images of Jensen Ackles in costume offer some helpful clues.
One of the biggest takeaways is how The Boys' Soldier Boy looks much, much closer in style to the original World War II character than the more widely-known Seven wannabe from the comics' present-day timeline. And if Ackles' outfit shares so little in common with the modern Soldier Boy, does this mean his story arc will follow suit? Eric Kripke has already confirmed the one-night Herogasm stand with Homelander won't happen, but The Boys' season 3 Soldier Boy may not harbor the same desperate wish to join The Seven either, or possess that painfully naive outlook. If Ackles isn't playing the comic books' contemporary Soldier Boy, that would also mean he doesn't get his nose bitten off, and isn't brutally tortured by Butcher and pals.
By the same token, similarities between Ackles's design and that of the comics' original Soldier Boy might allude to what the character does get up to. The Boys season 3 could feature flashbacks to Soldier Boy's ill-fated battlefield exploits against the Nazis (or lack of them), which has already been hinted at by in-universe promotional artwork and a teased connection with Stormfront. Also in the source material, The Boys' first Soldier Boy is killed by Mallory, potentially paving the way for Ackles' character and the live-action Grace Mallory to have some kind of enduring grudge.
Since it's hard to imagine Jensen Ackles featuring solely in flashbacks, Amazon's The Boys may deviate from the comics and have the wartime Soldier Boy survive into the modern era. We've already seen the likes of Homelander and Stormfront defy their age - does Soldier Boy also remain unwrinkled through the decades? Uncle Sam's second favorite supe might've been a big deal back in his day, but since Soldier Boy was conspicuously missing in The Boys seasons 1 and 2, he could be retired when season 3 begins - potentially thanks to his comic counterpart's biggest weakness. His statue says "1910-1982," but that's about as reliable as a Homelander promise. Rather than the outright cowardice of his successor, WWII Soldier Boy was incompetent, responsible for getting his entire team killed in a matter of moments. If Ackles' version of the character comes with a similarly dark backstory, this would account for his absence from the public eye, perhaps even setting up a redemption angle that the comics never explored.