Ackles referred to HBO’s The Last of Us when talking about the kind of post-apocalyptic projects that intrigue him. The actor has previously claimed that he pushed hard for the role of Joel in the show. “I don’t think I was really in the mix or even had a shot at it,” he admitted. The role ended up going to The Mandalorian actor Pedro Pascal, and The Last of Us Season 1 became the most-watched Max series ever in Europe and Latin America.

Jensen Ackles in The Boys

While Ackles did not get the role of Joel in The Last of Us, he appeared as Soldier Boy in The Boys Season 3, America’s first superhero who mysteriously disappeared years before the events of the show. As mentioned in the above quote, Ackles does not plan on leaving the superhero genre. Even though Soldier Boy was put back into a cryogenic sleep in the Season 3 finale, the actor has teased that he is ready to come back for The Boys Season 4. Talking about Soldier Boy’s potential return, Ackles said, “I’m not allowed to give anything out, but we’ll just say that Soldier Boy is not dead. Thank God.”

While Soldier Boy’s inclusion in The Boys Season 4 has not been confirmed, Ackles revealed that he would be appearing in Gen V, the upcoming spinoff for the Prime Video series. Speaking at a convention alongside fellow Supernatural alumni Jared Padalecki in April 2023, Ackles said, “Soldier Boy pops up for a brief moment in this new spin-off of The Boys. In fact, there’s a few cameos from the mothership that come into this spinoff.”