The Boys Season 3: Unlike Cap’s Shield, Soldier Boy’s Shield Represents American Racism & Sexism

Featured Video

Season 3 of The Boys, one among Prime Video’s most successful shows, premiered on June 3, 2022. Since the start of the first season in July 2019, the program has only grown in popularity. The Boys, which is adapted from the same-named comic book by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, is amongst the most highly praised on television, with seasons 1 and 2 receiving 85% and 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, respectively. Here’s an interesting reveal about the Soldier Boy’s shield in The Boys Season 3:

Advertisement
American superhero television series, The Boys.
American superhero TV series, The Boys.

Related: The Boys Season 3 Review: Purely Diabolical

A summary of the first 3 episodes of Season 3:

The Boys Season 3.
The Boys Season 3.

Following nearly two years without Supes, The Boys Season 3 released three episodes on its release date. These explain what has happened to The Boys squad in the year following season 2. Largely, they’re executing Hughie Campbell’s orders, who’s risen through the ranks of the Federal Bureau of Superhuman Affairs to become a powerful figure. While capturing fraudulent Supes in the act, even Butcher follows the rules. Unfortunately, Butcher’s weakness, his anger, is likely to be the smallest of his problems. Now that he’s taking Temp V, Urban’s character is seeing side effects with his new superpowers. They’re not favorable for him or his hunt for Soldier Boy. Yes, after discovering Hughie’s boss is a Supe dealing with Vought, the crew proceeds to look for a better approach to murder Homelander. As a result, they’re on the lookout for the original hero.

Advertisement

Related: The Boys Season 3 Review: Visceral, Volatile, Violently Disgusting…WE LOVE IT! – Animated Times

What does Soldier Boy’s shield represent?

Soldier Boy's shield in The Boys.
Soldier Boy’s shield in The Boys.

Soldier Boy, like Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has a shield that is clearly visible as part of his outfit. Soldier Boy, however, uses it to viciously assault someone. Showing him as an ultra-nationalist patriot who believes any degree of violence is okay since he’s playing defense is an excellent illustration, which captures the show’s evident perspective towards the character. Thus, Soldier Boy kills someone with a weapon that is only intended to be used for defense, not attack. This incident exemplifies the character’s twisted worldview, in which he justifies his use of disproportionate force because he sees everyone as a possible opponent.

Unlike the lead design in the original comics, Jensen Ackles’ Soldier Boy appears to be motivated by patriotism, turning him into a deadly beast. Soldier Boy’s violent ways tend to be influenced by xenophobia, which is bias against individuals from other places and races. Towards this purpose, the hero attacks enemies with a shield, a symbol of containment, separation, and exclusion.

Advertisement

Related: The Boys Season 3: Fans Are Gushing Over Jensen Ackles’ Wild Performance as Soldier Boy

 

Avatar

Written by Alfeeya Pathan

Articles Published: 342

Alfeeya Pathan is an entertainment news writer at FandomWire. With over 4 years of experience in writing and a Bachelor's in Journalism and Mass Communication, Alfeeya has honed her skills in writing compelling news for reader's.