Spoiler Warning: This Article Contains Spoilers For Season 3 Of The Boys
Season 3 of The Boys recently aired its finale to positive reception and a WTF moment that will leave fans wanting more. Jensen Ackles' turn as the stand-in for 20th Century Toxic-Masculinity Man, i.e. Soldier Boy, was a captivating performance that made it hard to imagine anyone else in the soldier's boots.
From his early days on the CW programming block to now moving up in bigger productions with Amazon Studios and ABC, Jensen has had quite the trajectory for his career. So throughout it, how does Rotten Tomatoes rate his projects thus far?
Devour (20%)
Released just a bit before the pilot of Supernatural aired, Devour could be seen as a foreshadowing of what was coming for Jensen's career. Though in fairness, what came after this would be leagues ahead in of creativity and production.
Devour is a direct-to-video horror flick packed with enough cliches and twists for anyone to gauge a little interest. Although not the strongest in his catalog, anyone looking to see Jensen in his pre-Supernatural days is bound to find it an interesting watch.
Walker (33%)
Post-Supernatural has left both Jensen Ackles and Jared Padelecki looking to new horizons. Jensen has mostly strayed away from cable television ever since; Jared meanwhile has found himself starring in his own CW show, Walker. A new take on the Chuck Norris show of the same name, Jared has so far made it effortlessly his while still retaining the camp that was imbued into the original.
Jensen reunited with Jared both in front and behind the camera for his former co-star's new show, directing the episode, "No Such Thing As Fair Play." Being cheeky, Jensen made sure to litter the entire episode with bits of Supernatural Easter eggs from the Impala's trunk cooler to his legs even making an appearance as a stand-in for a mysterious villain.
Big Sky (42%)
ABC's latest crime drama, Big Sky follows detectives Jenny Hoyt and Cassie Dewell as they try to uncover the disappearances of countless young women who went missing on a stretch of a highway in Montana. Recently appearing in the show's second season finale, Jensen Ackles is finally granted the opportunity to play the cowboy lawman he was meant for.
Although it was considered a cameo appearance, it's been reported that going forward he will be a series regular in the third season that is set to premiere this fall. While it is yet to be seen how the character will develop in the story, from his sole appearance thus far, Jensen has brought forward his signature charm and is already brewing great chemistry amongst his new co-stars.
My Bloody Valentine 3D (61%)
Jensen Ackles seems to be more known for his forays into the horror genre and his role as Tom Hanniger in the 2009 hit, My Bloody Valentine 3D is a perfect example. A remake of a classic Canadian slasher, My Bloody Valentine 3D delivers on its namesake by granting the audience's literal jump-scares. Just barely getting a "fresh" rating, most of the criticisms were directed towards the screenplay and production value, but the same could not be said for the film's "slasher."
Jensen seems to revel in roles when he is allowed to be more volatile. Playing someone with a split personality after portraying himself as a survivor of a massacre that he is perpetrating is entertaining for sure. Watching him bounce between his "Tom" and "Miner" personalities is a delight to behold.
Dark Angel (65%)
James Cameron's big intro into the world of television and the show that would become Jessica Alba's big break, Dark Angel, also featured Ackles in a starring role. A show that became a part of a wave of female-led action shows of the early-2000s and set in a dystopian future of 2019, Dark Angel follows the plights of genetically modified humans bred for the military.
Jensen stars as two of these super-humans, Ben and Alec, who are identical twins. Ben only appears in one episode in the show's first season, but his screen time was enough to convince the show's creators to bring him back on as a series regular for season 2 as the smart-aleck Alec.
Smallville (78%)
The Boys isn't Ackles' first time in the live-action adaptation of superhero comics, that honor would go to the WB/CW's series, Smallville. Set in the eponymous town where Kal-El/Clark Kent grew up with his adoptive parents, the show explores what the comics don't touch on as much. Appearing in a single season, Jensen starred as a new love interest for Lana Lang, Jason Teague.
Meeting Lana in her travels, Jason would eventually follow her back to Smallville, but unbeknownst to everyone else, he had ulterior motives. It's a role that made Jensen stand out significantly in Smallville's fourth season and it's no surprise that the WB was eager to cast him as the lead in one of their other projects.
Supernatural (93%)
Actors rarely play roles that become iconic, but Jensen Ackles is completely inseparable from Dean Winchester and Supernatural. And it's easy to see why; Supernatural was the CW network's longest-running program, having just recently ended at 15 seasons. Originally it was set to end at five seasons along with the departure of Eric Kripke, but the CW took a look at the ratings and decided how much more they could go on with.
Throughout the series run, Jensen imbued everything he had in the role of Dean Winchester. His amazing chemistry with co-lead Jared Padalecki is a big reason for the show's success, as fans could not get enough of it. Supernatural was his vehicle to take his acting chops through any avenue he liked. Jensen is synonymous with Dean, and for good reason, as there was nobody who could've done it better.
The Boys (93%)
Season 3 of The Boys seemed to be hinting at trans-generational trauma as its main theme. Jensen Ackles' turn as the controversial Soldier Boy in the latest season was one of its high marks and is ultimately the main focus of the aforementioned theme. From the direct impact that he caused on M.M.'s family to the pain he would down to his own son Homelanderr.
Reuniting with Supernatural creator Eric Kripke, Jensen easily blends into the world of The Boys. Jensen makes every line-delivery count, from his preferences in women down to his views on manliness. Soldier Boy is at his best when he's at his lowest, and Jensen has no issue with portraying it as such. Hopefully, audiences will be able to see him again going forward.
Batman: The Long Halloween (100%)
Aside from devilishly handsome good looks and a commanding presence, if there is one thing that Jensen Ackles is known for, it has to be his voice. It's the perfect balance between husky and deep which plays well into any character he plays. A voice that even The Boys couldn't help but use in an animated sequence.
So when it was his turn to lend his voice to everyone's favorite deep-voiced caped crusader, it was a perfect match. Voicing Batman in the two-parter, Jensen still delivers a fantastic Batman performance that he could continue in the DCAU.
Batman: Under The Red Hood (100%)
Jensen's first stint in the animated world of Gotham wasn't as its Dark Knight but instead its Red Knight, the tragic Jason Todd. No stranger to violent broods with daddy issues, Jensen goes all out in this fantastic voice performance as the former Robin bent for revenge.
While most of his screen-time is muffled behind the red hood itself, when the hood comes off, Jensen gets to go all out as the traumatized young ward. His performance in the final confrontation with his former mentor is gut-wrenching and the pain behind the voice is bared for all to hear.