Soldier Boy by Jensen Ackles has arrived at The boys Season 3. However, the actor is no stranger to superhero roles, having previously voiced Jason Todd/Red Hood in Batman: Under Red Riding Hood and even the Caped Crusader himself in Batman: The Long Halloween. Interestingly enough, Jensen Ackles’ name was also tied to Steve Rogers/Captain America’s role in the MCU.
Did Jensen Ackles audition for Captain America?
There’s been a long-running rumor on the internet that Jensen Ackles was one of the actors considered for the role of Captain America before Chris Evans was given the gig. While other actors such as Chris Pratt, John Krasinski and Sebastian Stan have all confirmed they were in the mix at some point, Ackles revealed that was never the case with him.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, he shut down the rumor mill once and for all. “Did I audition for Captain America? No, I didn’t,” he said. “I don’t necessarily know, was it some kind of audition? I feel like they just met people at that topic.
Ackles added that he and Evans used to audition for the same kind of roles back then, so he wouldn’t have been more bothered by the friendly rivalry for the role of Cap. At the same time, it begs the question: Would Jensen Ackles’ Captain America have been better than Chris Evans’ version?
It includes Soldier Boy
Watch Jensen Ackles as Soldier Boy on The boys, it is clear that he understands that this is a parody of Captain America. That said, he doesn’t play the role with a nod and wink to the audience; instead, he embodies the character as the hypocritical, serious superhero that he is. He truly believes he is the pride and joy of America and everyone should bask in his glory.
In many ways, Soldier Boy is a lot like the Injustice version of Superman. The character is twisted by his own version of justice, seeing himself as the hero willing to do whatever it takes when he’s obviously the villain. Again, Ackles plays the role perfectly here as he embodies the boring and irritating characteristics of Soldier Boy, who doesn’t see what everyone else is doing around him.
Why Jensen Ackles’ Captain America Would Have Been Better Than Chris Evans
Make no mistake, Soldier Boy is not Captain America at all. He cares more about his own gain and glory than collective victory. That said, the two heroes share certain qualities: they are self-righteous and believe that they should be the leaders simply because of who they are. Ackles absolutely nails this aspect of the character, maybe even better than Evans. You can easily see him arguing with Tony Stark in Civil war and talk everywhere because he must automatically be right by virtue of who he is. He has an air of arrogance about him.
Second, watch Ackles and hear him speak as Soldier Boy. It’s about as American as it gets. He’s believable as an action hero and people take notice when he walks into a room. Don’t take anything away from Evans as he also has a similar charm, but Ackles oozes a bit more.
To play a parody of a character, it’s important to understand the exact traits that are being ridiculed. Jensen Ackles knows that Soldier Boy will never be Captain America, but he knows where the two are quite similar, and he plays that aspect incredibly well. Chris Evans certainly delivered an iconic performance as Cap, but maybe – just maybe – Ackles might have been a better choice.
