Season three of Amazon’s meta-superhero commentary The Boys will introduce Jensen Ackles (Supernatural) as the inaugural celebrity superhero, Soldier Boy. Though this World War II veteran is depicted as clean-shaven in the comics, Ackles shared first photo of himself in front of his trailer rocking a beard and shaggy hair, via UPROXX.
According to UPROXX, Ackles first flaunted his quarantine facial hair on social media few months back, making Tuesday’s post from The Boys set a confirmation that this beard was grown for the show specifically. TV Insider calls Ackles “nearly unrecognizable” as this look deviates vastly from his “clean-cut” appearance as Supernatural’s Dean Winchester, the monster hunter that he famously played for fifteen-seasons at The CW. Ackles’ post-Supernatural addition to The Boys, marking a reunion with executive producer Eric Kripke (Supernatural, The Boys), was announced last August.
UPROXX suggests that Ackles scruffy appearance on set goes deeper than just putting visual distance between his well-known Dean Winchester role. As a former soldier, celebrity hero and leader of the Avengers parody group Payback, Soldier Boy intentionally draws comparison to Marvel superhero Captain America. UPROXX posits that, while Soldier Boy appears clean-shaven in the comics, the bearded Ackles may be a specific visual reference to Chris Evans (Captain America: The First Avenger, Knives Out) as Captain America in Avengers: Infinity War.
According to TV Insider, the season three premiere of The Boys is entitled “Payback”, suggesting that Ackles has vital role to play in his debut season. While sharing Ackles’ photo, showrunner Kripke exclaimed “BUCKLE UP MOTHERFUCKERS” on Twitter.
Though Kripke had previously shared a glimpse into season three’s production back in February, Tuesday’s behind-the-scenes photo gave the first look at Ackles’ highly-anticipated character. Amazon has not yet provided a date for the return of its dark superhero hit, but UPROXX remains optimistic for a late 2021 release.