>Season 3 centers on Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles), the world’s first superhero. Created by Dr. Frederick Vought in the 1940’s, he was a global celebrity and power player at Vought International before his apparent death in the 1980's. The Boys find out that he is alive and set out to uncover his secret.
>Showrunner Eric Kripke described Soldier Boy as "Homelander before Homelander". "He's from a different era", said Kripke "but he's got the ego and the ambition — it just comes across in a different way because he's from a different time."
>Season 3 also introduces Payback, Vought’s first superhero team led by Soldier Boy. Kripke described them as “the Seven before the Seven” and alluded how they influenced the world. "Through the history of the Supes, we can tell a little bit about the history of America and how we ended up in the current fraught position that we're in."
>Season 3 will explore Vought’s origins. “Soldier Boy’s been around since WWII”, said Kripke, “he’s a mainstay of Vought and so through him, we get to see Vought through the decades."
>Kripke further elaborated on season 3's themes. "Certain politicians pitch an idyllic 'good old days' where everything was perfect and calm. It was never that way. So, by exploring the history of Vought in the history of America, we get to make some of those points. There was never an America when they say 'Make America Great Again.' It was always a struggle. That's the point. It's a struggle to make things better."
>Homelander will be a “homicidal maniac” in season 3, according to Antony Starr, while Kripke described him as a “time bomb about to explode” and noted that everyone – The Boys, the Seven and even Vought – are making preparations for when he inevitably snaps.
>Homelander will be intimidated by Soldier Boy, who rivals him in power, but has been around for longer and is more famous and beloved by the public.