The world of ‘The Boys’ continues to expand with new stories, new characters, and a deeper look into the dark history of Vought International. One of the most exciting upcoming chapters is the Prime Video prequel ‘Vought Rising’, set in the 1950s. The show will follow the early days of Compound V and the corporation’s efforts to cement superheroes as icons of American culture.
Jensen Ackles, who played Soldier Boy, is back to reprise the role in this period piece. However, according to Ackles, fans shouldn’t expect the same swaggering, arrogant, and battle-hardened supe they met in the modern-day series. Instead, ‘Vought Rising‘ will reveal a younger Soldier Boy, one still finding his place, not yet shaped by decades of being “the top dog.”
Jensen Ackles Reveals Soldier Boy’s Transformation In ‘Vought Rising’
Ackles recently spoke with Variety about how he approached reprising Soldier Boy in a very different timeline. He revealed that while it’s the same character, the man audiences will meet in ‘Vought Rising’ hasn’t yet developed the arrogance and confidence that defined him in ‘The Boys’. “Obviously, they’re the same guy,” Ackles explained, “but there’s a lot of life that Soldier Boy has lived when we see him in The Boys … going back 70-odd years, I’m able now to deal with the struggles that made him who he became.”
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This distinction is crucial. In ‘The Boys,’ Soldier Boy is portrayed as a toxic mixture of bigotry, entitlement, and misplaced patriotism. He is a product of Vought’s propaganda and his own unchecked power. However, in the prequel, he will appear more uncertain, more raw, and without the hardened edge that comes from decades of dominance. Ackles was quick to clarify that this doesn’t mean Soldier Boy will suddenly be portrayed as an innocent or sympathetic figure.
Instead, fans will see the seeds of who he eventually becomes: “It’s fun to show the origin of how this guy became who he is, and what were the little tricks and ticks that crafted him into where we see him now.” The actor also acknowledged the unique challenge of returning to a familiar role but within an entirely new environment. Aya Cash, who also reprises her role as Stormfront, described it perfectly: “It’s like coming home, and you’ve sold the house and there’s a new family living there.”
Eric Kripke Has Big Plans For ‘The Boys’ Universe
While Ackles’ return has generated plenty of excitement, ‘Vought Rising’ promises much more than just his performance. Eric Kripke, the showrunner of ‘The Boys’, recently hinted at how interconnected the universe is becoming. Specifically, he teased that Ethan Slater’s character, Thomas Godolkin, introduced in ‘Gen V‘ season 2 as the founder of Godolkin University, could appear in Vought Rising.
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“If Vought Rising works and we can keep doing more seasons, I think we’d be insane to not put Ethan Slater’s character in that show,” Kripke told Entertainment Weekly. Since ‘Gen V’ establishes Godolkin’s role in the 1960s, showing him a decade earlier in the prequel would allow the timeline to align seamlessly. This interconnected storytelling gives fans a richer sense of Vought’s history.
The introduction of other new supes in ‘Vought Rising‘, such as Mason Dye’s Bombsight, Will Hochman’s Torpedo, and Elizabeth Posey’s Private Angel, suggests that audiences will witness the evolution of superhero culture as propaganda carefully crafted by Vought. Fans will not only get to see how he became “the face of supes” but also how Vought perfected the formula of turning deeply flawed individuals into larger-than-life idols.
