The Boys Fans Have Interesting Theories About Jensen Ackles' Soldier Boy
The end of The Boys season 2 saw some major shake-ups for both the titular Boys as well as the Seven. While Hughie (Jack Quaid) and his partners scored some victories by outing Stormfront (Aya Cash) as a Nazi, thus hurting Vought's image, head of The Seven, Homelander (Antony Starr), remains vulnerable and was last seen in a very precarious position. After all, Homelander became extremely close to Stormfront in the media's eye before her true identity was revealed, so it's possible he'll see his standing in The Seven compromised next season.
It's been announced that the series will bring Supernatural star Jensen Ackles to the main cast to play Soldier Boy, a character who's basically The Boys' alt version of Captain America. He fought the Nazis in World War II with his powers of relative super strength, superhuman speed, and expertly skilled use of his signature shield. In the comics, "Soldier Boy" is actually a title that's been passed down over the years with the most recent iteration being a coward.
Fans already have plenty of theories circulating online about what Soldier Boy's role in the upcoming season could be. One fan theory suggests Vought brings in Soldier Boy to help with its public image after the fallout from the Stormfront debacle and in response to Homelander's decreasing popularity. It would certainly make sense, but it's also possible the show will do something entirely different, much like how it changed Stormfront from a man to a woman and updated her Nazi ways to match the times. Until we see season 3 of The Boys for ourselves, fans will continue wondering how Soldier Boy will fit into the series, and there's one intriguing idea currently making the rounds.
Some fans think there will just be one version of Soldier Boy
In the comics, the version of Soldier Boy who goes up against The Boys is actually the third person to hold the title. It's possible the show could go down the same route and make the hero a legacy title. After all, it's pretty clear that Jensen Ackles doesn't look like a senior citizen who fought in World War II himself. However, some fans have stumbled upon a theory that would change some things from the comics while still staying in line with what the show has established so far.
Season 2 of The Boys makes it clear that Stormfront was given Compound V back in Nazi Germany, and as a result, her aging has been significantly slowed down, essentially make her immortal. It's possible Soldier Boy received the same type of Compound V, which has him looking perpetually young as well. The theory was brought up by u/TheAquaman in a recent Reddit thread: "I saw a theory, that I love, it's that the early superheroes are immortal. Stormfront is one too. That's why she looks like Lady Liberty, Mallory brought her up, and she's super racist. I can see that being a plot line for Season 3."
It would make sense for the series to continue with the idea of "classic" superheroes coming back into the modern day. Instead of having multiple Soldier Boys, which could get convoluted, they can just have the one. Perhaps he's been on secret missions or was put on ice, similar to his Marvel counterpart Captain America, until his country needed him again.
Will Jensen Ackles play an ageless Soldier Boy?
Redditor u/peanutdakidnappa points to an interview with The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke, which seems to support the theory: "[Kripke] said he was in ww2 and also knew liberty in the 70s so idk any other way he'd be in present day now and still look young like Jensen unless he ages super Slowly or can live forever age wise unless killed." In a world with superpowered individuals running around, there are numerous explanations for how someone can be in their 100s and still look 30. It worked with Stormfront in season 2 and could make for an interesting direction for season 3 to take. The writers could have a lot of fun with scenes featuring an old-school Soldier Boy who actually fought in a war and Homelander who likes to co-opt patriotic ideals for his own means.
We'll have to wait and see if any Soldier Boy fan theories come to fruition when The Boys season 3 drops.