The Boys star Jensen Ackles refuses to reveal any of the "movie stars" who were in consideration for the role of Soldier Boy in the Prime Video series.
While speaking with Men's Health, Ackles went into detail about the process of being cast in The Boys' third season. "Usually you're going through casting directors and network studio execs, and all that stuff," the actor said. "But I had a direct line to the showrunner [Eric Kripke]." The showrunner of The Boys had previously created The CW's Supernatural, which Ackles starred in for the show's entire 15-season run.
Ackles continued, "I do know that there were some names that I think the network was considering. There was a short list of names," he said. "And when [Kripke] read off a few of those names to me, I was like, 'Oh, well, there's no way. I don't have a shot at this. Those are movie stars.'" Ackles refused to reveal who any of the other actors considered for Soldier Boy were, claiming he would be "blacklisted" from Hollywood if he were to do so.
From Supernatural to Soldier Boy
Ackles, who has received overwhelming praise and acclaim for his performance as Soldier Boy, joined the cast of The Boys following Supernatural's conclusion in 2020. Since both shows were created by Kripke, Ackles has discussed some of the key similarities and differences between Soldier Boy and his Supernatural character Dean Winchester. Recently, he talked about both characters' unhealthy relationships with their respective fathers, stating, "[Soldier Boy] definitely had the worst father and has more deep-rooted issues because of it."
One major reason for the stark differences between Kripke's two most successful TV shows is that, unlike Supernatural, The Boys does not have to deal with the restrictions of network television. Kripke recently explained why working for a streaming service like Prime Video is easier than a network like The CW.
"It's the ability to do two things: have most of your scripts written before you shoot a day of film, and then have all the episodes finished before you turn them over to air." he said. "There are logistical benefits that would be impossible to give up because you can tell a coherent piece in a way you simply cannot with network TV. It's already aired; you threw it out the door. You're locked in."
All three seasons of The Boys are available to stream now on Prime Video.
Source: Men's Health