Where has Soldier Boy been all this time in The Boys? After the fiasco with Stormfront in season 2, The Boys season 3 promises to be even more chaotic than before with the introduction of Soldier Boy. The latest trailer for the Amazon series teases Soldier Boy as the only one who might be strong enough to put a stop to Homelander. But his sudden arrival calls into question where he has been all these years before his reappearance in the present day.
Homelander’s pride and ego were deeply shaken at the end of The Boys season 2. Season 3 is capitalizing on Vought’s strategy to put all the blame of Stormfront’s Nazi plans solely on her, wiping Homelander’s hands clean of their collective scheming. To go toe-to-toe with Homelander, The Boys season 3 is introducing Soldier Boy, the “Homelander before Homelander.” The Supe was mentioned in season 2 by Stan Edgar and a statue of him was erected in the square. Soldier Boy, a parody of Captain America, is as old as Stormfront, having fought in World War II. He was around for decades after until he disappeared. Soldier Boy has the same bigoted ideologies she did and, from brief glimpses of him, he seems just as — if not more — brutal than she was. But why the sudden reappearance after so long?
Speaking on Michael Rosenbaum’s podcast Inside of You, Jensen Ackles revealed Soldier Boy was absent all this time because he was in captivity, likely stowed away by Vought. The Boys season 3 trailer confirms as much, with the character, bearded and looking feral, popping out of a chamber that seemingly housed him for decades. Vought is notorious for keeping their Supes hidden or locked up in the company’s many secret facilities until they can make good use of them. Soldier Boy emerging in season 3 suggests Vought will use him as a weapon against Homelander. The character is shown to be ruthless, beating someone to death with his shield, wild-eyed and unflinching. It’s possible Vought no longer needed Soldier Boy after in the years following World War II and benched him until they could put him to good use again, likely telling people he died, which explains why Butcher and the Boys are surprised to see him.
In the comics, Soldier Boy was not held in captivity and brought back to keep Homelander in check. Rather, the Soldier Boy in the present did not fight in World War II at all. It was his previous counterpart — of which there were two using the moniker before — who fought during the war. In The Boys, Soldier Boy being placed in some sort of chamber reveals why he hasn’t been around for a few decades, though the reason for why he was locked away to begin with are unclear. It’s possible his behavior got out of hand and Vought was no longer able to control him. This would play out similarly to Homelander’s story in The Boys season 3.
Either way, Vought unleashing Soldier Boy on the masses after all this time could blow up in their faces in The Boys season 3. Soldier Boy seems unstable and merciless. Letting him out after so long could lead to his becoming unpredictable and hard to control. Unleashing Soldier Boy to stop Homelander shows how desperate Vought is and how Stan Edgar may have lost his grip on the situation regarding Supes and the Seven overall.
