The Boys showrunner shares his reasons for bringing back Jensen Ackles as Soldier Boy in season 5: "Despite his tragic ugliness, we thought we should give him a shot"

Probably the biggest news to come out of The Boys panel at San Diego Comic-Con, aside from the new Boys spin-off, has to be the fact that Soldier Boy is returning to play a central role once again in The Boys season 5. But showrunner Eric Kripke says there is a reason behind his return, and it’s all to do with his son Homelander. 

"You know, what we realized was we really hadn't explored the father-son relationship much between Homelander and Soldier Boy," Kripke tells Gamesradar+ at SDCC 2024. "There's a lot of material there, how soldier boy feels about Homelander, how Homelander feels about his dad, and so we really wanted to dig into that relationship."

We got a taste of Soldier Boy and Homelander’s dysfunctional father-son relationship in season 3 when it was revealed that the Captain America-esque Supe, played by Supernatural’s Jensen Ackles, was Homelander’s biological dad. But the reunion didn't go as planned when Soldier Boy rejected his so-called son when the two met up at Vought Tower. Soldier Boy harshly remarked, "Buddy... you think you look strong? You're wearing a cape. You're just a cheap fucking knockoff." To make matters worse, he then tried to attack Homelander’s son Ryan. 

But it seems like the two will bury the hatchet in season 5 as, despite getting off on the wrong foot on their last meeting, Homelander and Soldier Boy do share a common enemy: Billy Butcher. "Soldier Boy is really driven to kill Butcher after Butcher betrayed him in season 3," reveals Kripke. "So he's just an excellent antagonist, to switch sides and basically, you know, to be with the supes."

But besides Soldier Boy’s reasons for returning, it is undeniable that the retro Supe is a fan favorite and was sorely missed from The Boys season 4, until we got to see a tiny glimpse of him in a cheeky post-credits scene. And the love was shown at SDCC too, when the crowd went wild as Ackles took to the stage. "We were just really excited to bring him out. And, you know, Jensen, despite his tragic ugliness you know, we thought we should give him a shot," jokes Kripke. 

The Boys seasons 1-4 are available to stream on Prime Video right now. The Boys season 5 is set to air in 2026. For more, check out the SDCC 2024 live blog, or see our list of the best shows on Prime Video