Summary

• Soldier Boy's return in Gen V was a clever solution, tying his cameo to Cate's mind and not impacting The Boys storyline.
• Although "killed" in Gen V, the real Soldier Boy remains alive in a gas chamber, setting the stage for future appearances.
• Gen V sheds light on public perception of Soldier Boy, showing his lasting impact and potential role in The Boys season 5.

He seemingly died in The Boys season 3 ending, yet still appears in Gen V after the fact, leading many to ask, "Is Soldier Boy dead?" The character was a significant addition to The Boys season 3, with Jensen Ackles' satirical take on the Captain America archetype perfectly fitting into the universe. Soldier Boy plays a huge role, so it isn't surprising to see the character be one of several The Boys characters to cameo in Gen V. However, the ending of season 3 made Soldier Boy's cameo difficult, meaning Gen V had to get creative.

Gen V is the spin-off of Amazon Prime Video's The Boys and episode 6 ended up as the show's weirdest episode yet, directly dealing with the fallout of Cate's betrayal. After the gang regains their memories, Emma heads off to find Sam, leaving Marie, Andre, Jordan, and Dusty with an unconscious Cate. Strange goings-on begin happening, putting the Godolkin gang in immense danger. While most of the episode centers on the crew attempting to escape with their lives, it also features a fun cameo from Soldier Boy.

How Did Soldier Boy Return In Gen V?

Soldier Boy Is A Construct Of Cate's Mind

Soldier Boy is in a bad place after the ending of The Boys season 3, with many viewers wondering how he could get brought back. After the fight at the Seven Tower, Grace Mallory recovers Soldier Boy, placing him back into a gas chamber, with him presumably remaining unconscious. Because of this, it seems only possible to bring the real-world Soldier Boy back in Gen V by significantly delving into his story ahead of The Boys final season. Luckily, the writers found another solution: Cate's mind.

Jensen Ackles was nominated for a Saturn and Astra TV Award for his role as Soldier Boy in The Boys.

While exploring Cate's mind, the Godolkin gang shockingly sees Soldier Boy appear in the middle of the woods. Jensen Ackles returns as this figment of Cate's imagination, explaining he was Cate's imaginary friend when she was a child. A young Cate had a massive crush on him, with Soldier Boy describing various sexual acts she fantasized about. This odd sequence is funny but perfectly solves Soldier Boy's cameo problem. Having Soldier Boy be a figment of Cate's imagination is a great way to feature him without mes The Boys' story.

Is Soldier Boy Dead After His Gen V Cameo?

Soldier Boy Is Still Alive In The Gas Chamber

Soldier Boy explains to the Gen V gang that blood vessels are bursting in Cate's mind, with them randomly killing and destroying parts of her imagination. Soon after explaining this, another blood vessel bursts, instantly turning Soldier Boy into a pile of ash.

Although this version of Soldier Boy is dead, the actual character is still alive after his Gen V cameo, as the version seen in Gen V isn't real. Gen V saw the opportunity to visually kill one of The Boys' most powerful supes and took it, even if it doesn't mean a whole lot for the future of the franchise.

What Soldier Boy's Gen V Appearance Means For The Boys

The Public Believes What Vought Released About Soldier Boy

Soldier Boy expects to play a role in The Boys season 5, meaning his appearance in Gen V may impact that show's final season. Since this version of Soldier Boy is entirely inside Cate's mind, his death won't change anything, with the imaginary friend not knowing anything that the real Soldier Boy does.

However, Soldier Boy's Gen V cameo sheds a little light on the public's perception of him. Due to the Godolkin gang's reaction to seeing Soldier Boy, it is clear that he is one of the world's most famous supes, even if he disappeared for a few decades. Andre mentions he is a Russian asset, the cover-up story Vought pushed after Soldier Boy's fiasco. It seems residents of The Boys' universe bought into this narrative.

Gen V shows the lasting impact of Soldier Boy's character, which should continue in The Boys season 5. The mid-credits scene of The Boys' season 4 finale confirmed that Soldier Boy is still alive and now Homelander knows where he is, meaning that he is likely to play a key part as the show heads into its final season.

This Was The Perfect Small Connection To The Boys For Gen V

Soldier Boy Could Show Up & Not Change The Story

Bringing in Jenson Ackles for this small cameo was a brilliant way to connect Gen V to The Boys without spoiling anything coming up in the regular series. It also showed how the action in the original series plays out for the world at large. Knowing Solider Boy is Cate's childhood fantasy was fun and plays strongly into how Vought wants its heroes to appear to regular people. Having everyone act like fanboys when Soldier Boy showed up also shows how people see the supes, even when they go bad.

Soldier Boy showed up in The Boys season 4 post-credit scene.

The Gen V finale had big cameos, especially when Homelander showed up and stopped the battle where Marie, Andre, Jordan, and Emma tried to stop the rampaging Sam and Cate. However, as expected, Homelander took Sam and Cate's side and seemingly killed Marie before Vought claimed Sam and Cate were the heroes. Billy Butcher also had a post-credit stinger cameo. With that said, the Soldier Boy cameo worked better because it was fan lip service for The Boys fans and was done for fun rather than for overarching story purposes.