What Only Supernatural Fans Will Notice About Soldier Boy In The Boys Season 3

Jensen Ackles' 15 season run as Dean Winchester on Supernatural came to an end in November, but the actor is wasting no time in making his return to TV. In August 2020, Ackles revealed that he landed the role of Soldier Boy on The Boys season 3, and while the character is billed as the original superhero in the show's universe, Dean fans shouldn't expect the supe to have much in common with the hunter... well, aside from his choice of footwear, anyway.

As Supernatural fans will know, Dean's sturdy work boots were a key part of his wardrobe. He sported his trademark boots in every single season, making them just as essential to his character as the necklace Sam gifted him and his beloved Impala, Baby. During a finale interview with Entertainment Weekly, Ackles revealed that he wore through four different pairs of the footwear during his time on The CW show, and when the series ended, he took the final pair home with him to Austin, Texas.

"There was a moment in my trailer when I took off my boots for the last time," Ackles told EW. "I've spent so much time in them that I've worn four pairs out, and I kept this last pair. But when I took them off, I looked at them and they were sitting next to a wardrobe box that was getting packed up with some of my personal items and stuff inside my trailer, and I just took a picture of it... it's like literally hanging up the boots."

But thanks to Soldier Boy, he'll be slipping into those familiar boots again soon, although, fittingly, they'll be a different color this time.

In a separate interview with EW, Ackles revealed that The Boys wardrobe department gave him a variety of shoes to choose from as they were crafting Soldier Boy's outfit. But the minute he spotted the familiar brand he sported on Supernatural, he knew exactly which pair he was going to pick for his new character's costume.

"Through no planning or work of my own devices, I somehow managed to end up with the same kind of boots for Soldier Boy that I wore as Dean Winchester," Ackles said. "Different color, but same boot."

Supernatural fans should hold onto Ackles' footwear choice, because that's the only part of Dean that he's carrying with him as he suits up for the role of Soldier Boy. Even though Eric Kripke is behind both Supernatural and The Boys, the latter show is much darker. As a result, the actor will ironically have to channel his non-heroic side in order to convincingly play Vought's first superhero.

"I think anyone expecting Jensen to show up and be a good guy, they will be disappointed. I'll say that!" Kripke teased in an interview with Variety, adding that Soldier Boy was "Homelander before Homelander."

Ackles' Soldier Boy may be yet another morally corrupt hero in the world of The Boys, but it's nice to know that Ackles still managed to preserve a tiny piece of Dean Winchester even as he commits to losing himself in such a dark role.