Season 4 of The Boys has officially ended with a lot of shocking revelations, more gruesome killings, and a country which was thrown into deeper chaos. With Billy Butcher on a murderous rampage to get his revenge on the chilling Homelander, the 5th and final season of the show is being set up delectably.
The season ended with a post-credit scene that confirmed the return of Jensen Ackles’ Soldier Boy, who was a pivotal character in season 3. His absence in the 4th season was questioned by a lot of fans, especially since he had close ties with Homelander. Showrunner Eric Kripke elaborated on why the character needed to be brought back for the final showdown.
Why Eric Kripke Was Insistent On Getting Jensen Ackles’ Soldier Boy Back In The Mix
In season 3 of The Boys, fans were introduced to Soldier Boy, the MVP of all Supes played by Jensen Ackles. This foul-mouthed war hero is seen in the series as the first American non-aging Supe who was created by Frederick Vought during World War 2. Laz Alonso’s Mother’s Milk holds him responsible for destroying his family.
While working with the CIA during the Cold War as the leader of Payback, Soldier Boy was betrayed by the Russian government and experimented on for forty years. He is inadvertently freed by the vigilantes in the present-day, who realize that he is the only one who can kill Homelander.
More significantly, Soldier Boy is discovered to be the biological father of Homelander, whose parental complexes are further heightened when he is rejected and insulted by him. His absence in season 4 surprised a few fans, before they realized that the post-credit scene would bring him back in a major way in season 5.
It was a mistake not to have Soldier Boy in #TheBoys Season 4 pic.twitter.com/cWezuiGr0X
— BLURAYANGEL 🦇 (@blurayangel) July 18, 2024
We could’ve had him instead of those boring subplots
— Sir Alex (@FergHassan) July 18, 2024
omg yasss! 😍 can't wait to see jensen back as soldier boy
— Natalie May (@babenataliemay) July 26, 2024
They had to. They couldn't have the final season without him. pic.twitter.com/nBh25c8ifW
— OurMovieGuide (@OurMovieGuide) July 26, 2024
For fans, the development of Soldier Boy’s dynamic with Homelander was a pivotal factor in how their relationship could pan out. This was exactly what showrunner Eric Kripke also had in mind when he decided to bring back the character for the final season.
Kripke echoed viewers thoughts when he spoke to Games Radar at the San Diego Comic-Con. He believed that there were a lot of complex emotions to be developed and fleshed out between the two characters.
You know, what we realized was we really hadn’t explored the father-son relationship much between Homelander and Soldier Boy. 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.
With this exciting revelation, fans will be eagerly awaiting the showdown between Ackles’ Soldier Boy and Antony Starr’s Homelander, along with the culmination of the other character arcs in the series.
Eric Kripke Realized The Responsibility He Had With The Boys
A bunch of rogue superheroes wreaking havoc with their powers through their telling actions that have an impact on the political system and society, is The Boys in a nutshell. Based on the comic book by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson that was well ahead of its time, the television adaptation envisioned by Eric Kripke became a huge sensation with fans.
In a pretty ironic turn of events, the show which also took an unapologetic dig at the godly figures of Marvel and DC, has become a cult franchise in itself. It is now looked at with high expectations from fans after giving rise to various spin-offs, including Gen V and The Boys: Diabolical.
Ahead of season 4 in an exclusive interview with Empire, Kripke admitted that he was fully aware he now had the responsibility to ensure that every future season of The Boys lived up to the reputation of its predecessor. The creator though, had a clear plan in mind about bringing the narrative a full circle when the series ultimately neared its end on Amazon Prime.
You can’t build a show that’s about these two forces of Homelander and Butcher slowly closing in on each other without bringing that to a head. Whenever that last episode occurs, I know what happens.
The fact that a satirical show of this nature became a cult phenomenon with audiences was also not lost on Kripke, which made him even more determined to give The Boys the best farewell possible. Talking about staying true to the essence of narrative without compromising on the nuances of the characters, he said,
I think about it every day, how important it is: even if we’re telling more stories in this world, that we don’t f**king sell out.
In almost clairvoyant fashion, season 4 of The Boys served as a mirror to the sensational political events that continues to unfold in the USA as part of the Presidential elections. With the series having been renewed for a 5th and final season, it will be intriguing to see how Kripke puts his words into action.
All seasons of The Boys are streaming on Amazon Prime.
