“The situation’s changed,” Soldier Boy, who tried to kill Homelander in a previous episode, says over the phone. “And I thought we should have a conversation.”

Though Homelander is not initially receptive to the unexpected call, Soldier Boy proceeds with his confession, sharing, “Fall 1980, I get called into Vogelbaum’s lab for an experiment. Some s–t about genetics. I still remember the Penthouse I used.”

To further spell it out for a confused Homelander, Soldier Boy adds, “I beat my meat into a cup. Turns out, Vogelbaum made a kid born spring 1981. A boy.”

Understandably, this admission leaves Homelander speechless, especially as Soldier Boy admits that he would’ve happily stepped aside to let his son take the spotlight—if he hadn’t been captured by Russians, that is. He says aloud, “What father wouldn’t want that for his son?”

This is a major departure from the comics that inspired Prime Video’s adaptation. Specifically, Homelander and Soldier Boy actually have 𝑠e𝑥 in the comics, which wouldn’t be appropriate given this new development.

So, while exclusively chatting with Ackles about season three, we asked him point-blank if showrunner Eric Kripke told him about Soldier Boy and Homelander’s connection before joining the series. Surprisingly, Ackles said he didn’t learn about this plot point until after he was cast.

“I read it,” he told E! News. “Got the script and was like, ‘What the s–t? Wait, what? How did I not see that coming?’ But I didn’t.”

The writers for The Boys haven’t been afraid to depart from the original source material in past. Case in point: The character Stormfront (Aya Cash) was rewritten as a female love interest for Homelander, rather than a rival and father figure.

Thus, Ackles was excited by the change, revealing that his reaction was, “Oh, that’s gonna be so good!”

Though Ackles stayed tight-lipped on what viewers can expect out of this new father-son duo, he did tease that their next confrontation “was a fun scene to play.”