A superhero from the past returns to the spotlight in season 3 of The Boys. In the new season, set to debut on Prime Video in June, Supernatural star will make his series debut as Soldier Boy. A character similar to Captain America, the patriotic superhero was one of the first to be injected with Compound V. Like the Seven, he had also served as part of a larger group of superheroes known as Payback.
There's a lot of excitement about Ackles' arrival in the show, and new details have come in to hype his debut even further. The actor shed some new light on Soldier Boy in The Boys on Michael Rosenbaum's Inside of You podcast. Here's what the actor had to say about Soldier Boy's arrival, per ComicBook.com.
"What happens is they kind of find me, and I've been essentially in captivity for a while. And so, when they do, I'm bearded and I look like Cast Away, but then they clean me up and I get my superhero outfit back on and I go to town....He's a grandpa. He's from the '40s. He fought in World War II, and he's just this curmudgeon, bigoted a--hole. He doesn't age, so he's this young, 40-year-old superhero who's really 80 years old or 90 years old. There's just so much material there, you'll see what I mean when you see the show but he has a taste for people who were of his era."
Because Soldier Boy is heavily bearded when he is discovered, Ackles had to grow out his facial hair for the role. He also spoke about what it was like to maintain this bushy beard, though he he was since able to shave it after his character was given a makeover.
"You gotta get the shampoo that's special for the beard, you've gotta get the conditioner that's special for the beard, you've gotta get the beard balm, there's beard butter, there's wax, there's the oil. It was like, I didn't know, this is my first time into this world so I'm just buying different ones and trying different ones. I had a whole side of my bathroom that was taken over by beard sh-t."
Time Will Tell How Long Soldier Boy's Tenure Lasts in The Boys
So as to avoid spoilers, Jensen Ackles refuses to say how long we might see Soldier Boy in the universe of The Boys. In season 2, Stormfront (Aya Cash) quickly became one of the show's most prominent characters after her debut, but she seems to have been written out by the end of the season. On if Soldier Boy may also be only meant for one season, Ackles would only say that "the door is not closed."
It will be interesting to see what the return of Payback will mean for Billy Butcher and his gang of vigilantes. Homelander, who thrives on being the most powerful and popular superhero of them all, will also not be taking too kindly to another beloved Supe returning to take some of his spotlight. What we know is that season 3 is going to be crazier than what we've seen yet.
The Boys will premiere its third season on Prime Video on June 3, 2022.