The Boys star Jensen Ackles returns in first look at Gen V cameo

Gen V
(Image credit: Prime Video)

Jensen Ackles is returning to The Boys universe – and has given us a behind-the-scenes first look.

In the photo, shared by Entertainment Weekly, Ackles can be seen donning his classic Soldier Boy costume and throwing up two fingers in a 'V' for Gen V. 

Soldier Boy was kind-of-but-not-really killed off at the end of season three, having been imprisoned in cryogenic stasis with his fate left unknown.

"The old TV adage is like, never kill anyone unless you really, really have to. Never close a door, open a window," The Boys creator Eric Kripke said of the decision. "We'll all have to wait and see, but I can't imagine the series ending without Soldier Boy making another appearance."

Gen V

(Image credit: Prime Video)

Since Gen V runs concurrently with the (still-delayed) season 4 of The Boys, we have two potential scenarios: Soldier Boy has somehow escaped his creepy stasis prison, or he appears in a flashback of sorts.

Ackles isn't the only Boys star returning, as A-Train (Jessie T. Usher), The Deep (Chace Crawford), Ashley Barrett (Colby Minifie), and Adam Bourke (P.J.Byrne) are all set to make appearances.

Gen V stars a brand new crop of young supes who attend a supes-only university, and answers the question, "What if the kids in Euphoria also had superpowers?" The result: terrifying, probably – and we cannot wait.

Gen V is set to hit Prime Video on September 29. For more, check out the best shows on Amazon Prime Video you should stream right now or our guide to everything there is to know so far about The Boys season 4.

Lauren Milici
Senior Writer, Tv & Film

Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ currently based in the Midwest. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.

Read more
Supernatural
Jared Padalecki opens up on the "effing terrifying" experience of joining The Boys season 5 – and the possibility of a Supernatural reunion with Jensen Ackles
The Boys season 3
The Boys fans have some big theories about where Eric Kripke will take Soldier Boy in season 5
Jack Quaid and Jensen Ackles in The Boys
Soldier Boy-centred The Boys prequel adds two stars in mystery roles for the upcoming superhero show
Supernatural
The Boys season 5 sets a Supernatural reunion with Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins joining the cast
The Boys season 5: Karl Urban as William "Billy" Butcher punching an enemy during The Boys season 4.
The Boys season 5 release date speculation, cast, plot, and more news
Hughie in The Boys season 1
The Boys season 5 gets a bloody update from Hughie star in gory behind the scenes snap: "Work's been going great guys"
Latest in DC TV Shows
Harley Quinn in Harley Quinn season 5
Harley Quinn references The Batman with hilariously specific Easter egg you might not have noticed
Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher in Reacher season 3
Reacher star Alan Ritchson wants to play Batman so bad, he says "you wouldn't even have to pay me"
A screenshot of the title card for the upcoming DC show, Starfire.
James Gunn confirms that the Starfire animated TV show will be Elseworlds like Batman and Joker
Aaron Pierre as John Stewart and Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan in Lanterns
The first look at Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler's Green Lantern TV series is here – and DC fans are losing it over Hal Jordan's ring
The Penguin
Colin Farrell says he is "open to" doing The Penguin season 2, but has "no deep desire" to return
Creature Commandos
DC is fast-tracking Creature Commandos season 2 after overwhelmingly positive reaction to season 1
Latest in News
A screenshot from MindsEye showing a character leaning out of a car, shooting another car with a gun.
GTA veteran says the games industry needs to "get smarter" about what people actually want: "There are so many games, and I think we're starting to feel the effects"
Posing with a rifle in the Fallout 76 Ghoul update
Fallout 76's art director "had to fight really hard" so Bethesda would make the MMO's map bigger than Skyrim's
Minecraft movie image of Jack Black as steve
Don't expect Minecraft to go free-to-play anytime soon, as Mojang says "It doesn't really work with the way we built it"
Yasuke looking over the water to a shrine during sunset in Assassin's Creed Shadows
Assassin's Creed Shadows has an entire island stuffed with adorable kittens you need to check out, and it's based on an actual Japanese cat paradise
phase zero key art showing zombies in a hallway
Former Witcher 3 and Dying Light devs reveal their Resident Evil homage, complete with PS1-style fixed cameras
Shadow of Mordor's Nemesis System was only created because WB Games wanted something to combat Batman Arkham Asylum's second-hand sales, exec says