Season 3 of The Boys is about to hit Amazon Prime, and the long-awaited arrival of the Captain America counterpart, Soldier Boy, is almost here. While fans have been anticipating this date for the last two years, since the announcement of Jensen Ackles taking on the role, there have been several theories about the character.
Viewers have been given some indication of who Soldier Boy is and how he comes into play this season, with trailers and interviews delving into the original superhero. While some details are still scarce, fans can expect Soldier Boy to change the season’s dynamic in unpredictable ways.
Past Life
The official trailer for the show offers fans a small glimpse into who Soldier Boy could have been before he was injected with compound V. Queen Maeve (Dominique McElligott) is seen handing Butcher (Karl Urban) a file, which is filled with a memorandum and Soldier Boy’s photo circa the 1940s. The details are not completely clear, but it suggests that he was involved in anti-racketeering with the New England mafia.
While this might be a way to throw audiences off the writers’ intentions, it could make for an exciting way to elevate the story this season. It is possible that past connections could still be alive, giving Soldier Boy the chance to call in some favors and find new ways to interact in the world he’s just woken up in.
Abilities
Viewers have discovered a lot about Soldier Boy’s abilities compared to Captain America since the news first broke about the character. Much like Steve Rogers, Soldier Boy seems to have super strength and agility, allowing fans to see the parallels to the Marvel character more clearly. As the trailer shows, however, having the ability to launch people into far distances and being incredibly strong aren’t his only powers.
A few scenes depict him letting out energy blasts from within his body, first when they find him and then later as Butcher and Hughie are seen looking up at a burned building, which could have been Soldier Boy’s doing once he escapes. This destructive power could bring severe consequences, enough that Butcher and the gang may have to find other methods to stop him.
Hierarchy of Alphas
Soldier Boy is the original superhero: this will undoubtedly cause problems for Homelander (Antony Starr), who sees himself as the Alpha male at Vought because he’s the leader of The Seven. Considering Soldier Boy was the leader of his group, Payback, the similarities between the authoritative figures could bring conflict, giving Homelander more of a complex than he already has.
Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) is yet another Alpha within the realm of The Boys, on the opposite side of the spectrum to Homelander. While it’s unclear whether all three of them will interact, there is an apparent hierarchy between them which will be tested once Soldier Boy is introduced.
Ulterior Motives
The trailer for the series has given fans several clues into what the arc of Soldier Boy could be this season. While it suggests that he could be used to take down Homelander, it’s apparent that the character could have ulterior motives once he finds himself awake in a new, unfamiliar world.
He is seen roaming the streets, repeatedly beating up someone with his shield in a complete rage. His adjustment to the modern world will be interesting to see, but it evident that he’s not coping at all. Whether he has an affinity for such violence or a vendetta against certain people could be explored and change the dynamic of the series, especially when Billy and the others hear about his disruptive activities.
Payback
This season will not only explore Soldier Boy, but the group he was the leader of, Payback. The first episode is titled as such, implying that fans will see the history of Vought through the group and Soldier Boy. They are described as the first superhero unit, similar to the Avengers.
With Soldier Boy breaking out from captivity, several other members may be alive, too, with glimpses of Crimson Countess (Laurie Holden) and Gunpowder (Sean Patrick Flanery) in the trailer. Along with his other motives, Soldier Boy could rally the group together again, taking The Seven off the pedestal Vought had them on and reasserting the superiority of the old crew.
No Longer Vought’s Puppet
Season 3 is an exploration of Soldier Boy but also how Vought operated in the early days of the company. Stan Edgar (Giancarlo Esposito) gives the audience a brief overview of Vought and Soldier Boy in the first episode of Season 2, recalling that the hero was created for “killing Germans by the dozen.” He was the company’s poster child, everything they represented, and wanted the world to see them as.
From interviews with Ackles and even the outtakes of the anti-drug PSA, it’s clear that Soldier Boy was never what he was implied to be. After several decades of being unconscious, this attitude could cause anarchy at Vought, with his rebellious nature and blatant disregard for orders shaking up the company’s structure.
Connections to Mother’s Milk and His Family
While Soldier Boy could impact how the series moves forward, he could also have a lot to do with how certain characters’ stories continue to develop. Season 2 brought a bit of backstory for Marvin / Mother’s Milk (Laz Alonso), with heavy implications that his family had entanglements with Vought sometime during the ’70s or’ 80s. Fans saw MM describe his father’s need to seek the truth until the day of his death, wanting to take down Vought. The trailer depicts MM standing in front of a wall covered in newspaper articles, with one on Soldier Boy right in the middle.
With this information, it’s easy to assume that there are connections between MM and Vought that need to be explored, and Soldier Boy could very well link them. This would not only alter the way the season carries forward but puts Soldier Boy in an interesting position as a confrontation with MM could likely occur.