Why The Boys’ New Soldier Boy Backstory Fixes A Comic Problem
The Boys season 3's rewritten Soldier Boy origin gives Jensen Ackles' supe a deeper significance his comic counterpart was never afforded. A flock of new despicable Vought heroes are swooping into The Boys season 3, including Laurie Holden's Crimson Countess, Wolverine parody Ground Hawk, and Starlight's «Supersonic» ex-boyfriend. The most intriguing addition, however, is Soldier Boy, portrayed by Supernatural's Jensen Ackles. Riffing on Marvel's Captain America, The Boys' Soldier Boy is an uber-patriotic super-soldier, and one of Vought's earliest Compound-V creations.
Several heroes operate under the «Soldier Boy» mantle in Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson's The Boys comic books. The original led Payback — a team of heroes similar to the Seven — during World War II, but was woefully inept and killed dishonorably in battle. In the modern day, a different Soldier Boy (pretending to be a WWII hero to his adoring public) proves even more useless than his predecessor. Making a case as the most naive supe on Vought's payroll, Soldier Boy's overarching goal is landing a gig in the Seven, despite his pant-wetting cowardice.
Related: Boys Season 3: Why Starlight Is Leading The Seven
For The Boys season 3, Eric Kripke (showrunner) is rejigging Soldier Boy's backstory. Based on the scant few details Kripke and Ackles have revealed during interviews — as well as snippets revealed in past seasons — we know Amazon's live-action Soldier Boy is a Vought legend from World War II, but rather than getting Payback killed through his incompetence, Soldier Boy became a star. He knew Stormfront during her «Liberty» days, and starred in movies right up until the 1980s. Payback was a prototype for the Seven, and that makes Soldier Boy
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