The new series will debut on Prime Video this Friday with the first three episodes.
The news is not new: Jensen Ackles will continue to be part of the universe of The Boys reprising the role of Soldier in the upcoming spin-off Gen V. Instead, it is the photo, the first to show it in the new series, released by Entertainment Weekly waiting for the release of the first three episodes this Friday 29 September, on Prime Video. This is not a stage image. Understandable given the secrecy surrounding the character’s return. However, the shot still tells us a lot, because Ackles is wearing the Super’s costume and shield.
The return of Soldier, in Gen V: Where we were
The third season of The Boys had ended with a devastating battle against an increasingly unstable and dangerous Soldier, a battle that left him defeated. The former Retaliation member was imprisoned, held in suspended animation, under the watchful eye of Grace Mallory (Grace Robbins). At the time, in an interview with EWthe co-creator and showrunner Eric Kripke he said frankly that he left the door open for the character to reappear somewhere down the road, according to “the old TV adage that says: Never kill anyone unless you really have to.”
It is not clear for now whether Gen V will it follow up on what happened last time or will Soldier appear in a flashback scene; apparently the most probable hypothesis. The evidence at our disposal suggests that it will not be something lasting. In fact, Ackles had explained: “Soldier appears briefly in the new spin-off of The Boys. In fact, there are several flagship cameos seen in the spin-off. My small part was completely improvised.”
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Gen V will tie into season 4 of The Boys
And it’s true. Soldier won’t be the only character of The Boys to appear in Gen V. We will also find the sprinter A-Train (Jessie T. Usher), the aquatic hero Abyss (Chace Crawford), the ever-exhausted Vought CEO Ashley Barrett (Colby Minifie), “Dawn of the 7” director Adam Bourke (P.J. Byrne) and the deputy interested in the vice presidency Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit). Furthermore, Derek Wilson he will take on the role of Tek Knight, another former member of Retaliation, a character mentioned several times in The Boys but never seen before.
What Gen V says
Gen V develops between the third and fourth seasons of The Boys and tells of Godolkin University, a prestigious college where students train to become the next generation of heroes, preferably with lucrative sponsorships. Young and competitive, these kids will test their limits, both physical and moral, in the quest to reach the coveted top position in the school rankings, which would guarantee them fame and success, and perhaps even a place in the Seven. However, they will learn that ambition requires sacrifice and that the difference between right and wrong is not as clear as they thought. When the university’s dark secrets come to light, students will have to grapple with what kind of superheroes they want to become.
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