How did The Boys TV series change Soldier Boy? Comic vs show (changes explored)

The Boys Season 3 debuted its fifth episode today, and things have started to get a bit crazy with the arrival of Soldier Boy. Jensen Ackles portrays the crazed parody of Captain America and makes for quite a fun showcase of a supe being a real menace.

With this week's episode of The Boys, we finally got the answer to why Soldier Boy ended up in Russia. Turns out, Payback sold him out as they hated his guts. The episode also saw him get very stressed and explode, as a result taking out an entire block. It looks like Butcher has finally found his supe killing weapon as Kimiko is also revealed to be powerless now.

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There are quite a few differences between the comics and The Boys series version of Soldier Boy. So, let's explore the differences between them.

The Boys Season 3 version of Soldier Boy: Much more confident than the comic version

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So far, The Boys Season 3 has given us no indication of it following the comics. The deviation from the comics was hinted at from season two, but the new season has made it clear that it's doing its own thing.

With the portrayal of Soldier Boy, there have been some significant changes from the comics. Some fans feel it doesn't even feel like the same character.

Soldier Boy from The Boys comics

Soldier Boy (Image via Dynamite Entertainment)

Soldier Boy in the comics is a cowardly figure that puts on a facade of courage. Being the "elected" leader of the superhero team Payback, Soldier Boy has a very innocent attitude. Claiming to be patriotic, Soldier Boy will pretend that he is up for any fight, but this is very different from his internal thoughts.

He is a bootlicking figure that will try his best to get an in and have people respect him. For example, he committed mass murder in the comics to impress the Seven and Homelander. He also left behind his team in the comics when losing the fight.

Soldier Boy also dies at the hands of Billy Butcher after he reveals that there were two others with the same superhero title before him. This is followed by Butcher killing off every member of Payback as well.

In terms of powers, Soldier Boy roams around with a shield, the same as Captain America.

Soldier Boy from The Boys Season 3

Soldier Boy (Image via Amazon Prime Video)

In season three of The Boys, Soldier Boy is portrayed by Jensen Ackles. This version of the character is radically different from his comic book counterpart. While still being a parody of Captain America, this version here is more confident and a ready-for-action kind of a guy.

Soldier Boy in the show is not a cowardly figure in any way. He is the first superhero created and the first one to jump into battle as well. Soldier Boy also fought during World War II and many different wars in history. He has a relationship with Crimson Countess (although we know how that ends).

Soldier Boy has similar powers to his comic book counterpart, but he has something else too. This version of Soldier Boy can let off an explosion that can fry Compound-V in a supe's bloodstream. In the comics, he never really could do that.

Also, instead of Butcher kidnapping him here, he makes a deal with the supe to take Homelander down. So it looks like we won't see Soldier Boy die soon.

With this, it's clear that the show won't follow the comics and will adhere to its narrative. Whatever theories you have, you can throw them out now and start from scratch.

You can check out the fifth episode of The Boys Season 3 right now, as it's streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Edited by Sayati Das