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The Boys: Jensen Ackles' Soldier Boy Set for Season 5, Spinoff Series

Jensen Ackles' Soldier Boy will be back for Season 5, and Ackles is teaming with Aya Cash for the prequel series The Boys: Vought Rising.

We were as pleasantly surprised as anyone to learn that Prime Video and Showrunner Eric Kripke's The Boys was going to have a huge Hall H presence during this year's San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC 2024). Not that the hit streaming series doesn't deserve it – far from it. It's surprising because the fourth season had recently wrapped, and the fifth and final season most likely won't hit until 2026 – and it also says a lot about just how big the franchise has become. Along with Showrunner Michele Fazekas' spinoff series Gen V (currently in production on its second season) and the animated anthology series The Boys: Diabolical, we also have Gael García Bernal and Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer's The Boys: Mexico. Clearly, Kripke and the gang aren't lacking in topics – and we didn't even mention the Jensen Ackles/Soldier Boy tease in the fourth season finale. So, what did the team have in store for the folks in Hall H? How about Ackles as a series regular in Season 5 – and getting his own prequel spinoff series, The Boys: Vought Rising, with Aya Cash, aka Stormfront?

Prime Video has given a direct-to-series order for the series – with Ackles and Cash also set to produce. The Boys EP Paul Grellong will serve as executive producer and showrunner. "We are excited to bring you the next deranged series from the world of 'The Boys,'"Kripke and Grellong shared. "It's a twisted murder mystery about the origins of Vought in the 1950s, the early exploits of Soldier Boy, and the diabolical maneuvers of a Supe known to fans as Stormfront, who was then going by the name Clara Vought," the duo added. "We cannot wait to blow your minds and trouble your souls with this salacious, grisly saga drenched in blood and Compound V." Here's a look at the key art and announcement post offering an overview of The Boys: Vought Rising:

And here's a look at a video of Ackles addressing the SDCC 2024 crowd earlier today:

Clearly anticipating that there would be an outpouring of requests, Kripke and the gang cut right to the chase and made sure that the Season 4 blooper reel got out to the fans as quickly as possible – and that's what we have waiting for you below:

The Boys: Homelander, Soldier Boy & Some Early Final Season Thoughts

As the credits began to roll on "Assassination Run/Season Four Finale" (directed by Kripke and written by Jessica Chou & David Reed), we saw President Calhoun (David Andrews) – sworn in as the new POTUS after the death of VP Neuman (Claudia Doumit), followed by President-elect Robert Singer (Jim Beaver) being arrested for her murder – escorting a now-in-charge Homelander (Antony Starr) into a secret facility that Calhoun learned about from one of his POTUS classified meetings. Inside the cell is a containment unit, and guess who's inside? Yup… Jensen Ackles' Soldier Boy, drugged out of his skull and oblivious to who it is that's staring down at him. With the fifth season already having been confirmed to be the hit series' final season, expectations were high that the fan-favorite would be making a return. But what could it all mean? Let's look at Homelander's reaction…

If you rewatch the scene, you can see a wave of emotions play out across Homelander's face – yet not once did we get a sense of fear or anger. Let's not forget that we're talking about a man who still teamed with Butcher (Karl Urban) and the team even after learning that Homelander was his son – essentially disowning Homelander to his face. You would think that the first thing he would do would be to take out the one supe in front of him he knows could royally screw up his plans – but we know that's not going to happen. Why? Again, look at Homelander's facial reaction again.

That is the face of a man who not only hasn't purged himself of his humanity but who also just saw his "daddy issues" multiply by a thousand. We can see Homelander freeing him so he can show his "dad" just how much he was able to accomplish while he's been "sleeping" – a bid that's part of an effort to rub his "father's" face in his success while also hoping for his love and approval at the same time. Soldier Boy's response could be very interesting. Let's not forget that Soldier Boy is a walking piece of s**t in terms of his backstory and a lot of what he did during the third season. That said, there's also the matter of how someone who has a very "specific" notion of the U.S. being a democracy would react to seeing his "son" turn it into a dictatorship.

Here's a look at what Kripke had to share about Soldier Boy's return shortly after the finale hit Prime Video screens. Following that, Morgan throws out some huge praise for both Ackles and his character. Finally, Starr discusses what that scene represents and how Homelander's reaction is a very in-the-moment one:

Kripke on Soldier Boy's (Jensen Ackles) Return in Mid-Credits Scene: "Soldier Boy is a fan favorite. So it made perfect sense that once HL has control of the government, he would learn that his father is on ice. And this won't be the last we see of him."

Morgan Praises Ackles' Performance: "Jensen's Soldier Boy was one of the single greatest characters I've seen on television in a long, long time. His performance blew me away. I did want to work with him — and we also have a really good time together – the two of us, especially. And, obviously, that was a carrot in front of my face that I was chasing after, sure."

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