Gen V’s Soldier Boy/Jensen Ackles Cameo Explained By The Boys Producer

Summary

• Jensen Ackles returned as Soldier Boy in a comedic cameo for Gen V, as the producers wanted to find a smart and fun way to bring him into the spinoff series.
• The scene with Jensen Ackles didn’t feature everything that was filmed, as many raunchy euphemisms for masturbation were improvised during filming. Only a fraction made it into the final cut.
• The numerous cameos, including A-Train, The Deep, and Madelyn Stillwell, in Gen V highlight the strong ties to the main series and could potentially set the stage for The Boys season 4.

Gen V executive producer and The Boys creator Eric Kirpke has explained the circumstances behind Jensen Ackles returning as Soldier Boy for a cameo in the spinoff series. During episode 6, the core students from Godolkin University end up trapped in Cate’s mind. There, they meet an imaginary version of the former Seven Supe, who turns out to be Cate’s imaginary friend – and superhero crush.

Speaking with Variety, Kirpke explained why it was decided that Solider Boy would be one of the returning characters in Gen V. The producer revealed they tried to get actor Taylor Lautner to do the scene, but he passed. He also explained what it was like behind the scenes, revealing not every raunchy euphemism they came up with made it into the final cut. Check out what Kirpke had to say below:

And it was a shorter scene. And I don’t remember whether we ever went to [Taylor Lautner], or he had the good sense to just pass immediately. But we were like, OK, so what should we do? We were always thinking, we really should get Soldier Boy into the spinoff, and we were looking for a part. We said this is the greatest, because it’s hard to get him into the real world because he’s technically in a CIA basement somewhere unconscious. So this felt like a really smart and fun way to bring him in. I called Jensen and said, “You’re suiting up! We need you!” He was great, because he was shooting “Big Sky” at the time, so he moved his schedule around and flew out. His only request was, “I think it could be funnier.” I was like, absolutely. I was gonna be there, so I said, “I’ll be there, and you and I will just riff and riff and riff.” We just shot so much stuff that I would say only 10% of it is in the episode. You cannot believe how many euphemisms for masturbation we came up with. Countless, countless euphemisms. And then we put in our favorites and that was the scene.

Who Else Will Cameo In Gen V?

Soldier Boy’s brief, comedic cameo isn’t the only time a character from the main series has shown up in the spinoff. Previous appearances include A-Train, The Deep, Madelyn Stillwell, and Ashley Barrett. Episode 7 will feature Victoria Neuman, who will Maria will seemingly confront about what’s going on in the Woods.

The number of cameos in the spinoff are used to illustrate the strong ties its story has to the rest of the franchise. Some of these cameos may also be setting the stage for The Boys season 4, which could further explore the virus Indira is helping create in the Woods. Though others, like the imaginary Soldier Boy, are done to provide a comedic or fun moment.

Since there are still two episodes left in season 1, Supes like Homelander or one of the Boys like Hughie could make a surprise appearance in the show. Since Gen V season 2 has been announced, the door has been opened for even more cameos in the show’s future. As Soldier Boy’s appearance proves, the spinoff can be more heavily tied into the main show without compromising its unique qualities.

Source: Variety