Spoiler Warning: The Boys Seasons 1-3
The Boys’latest season really proved just how wild creator Eric Kripke can get. From exploding superheroes and… ahem… appendages to an entire episode entitled “Herogasm” to a deranged Captain America-wannabe, the third season definitely showed it could keep pushing the envelope. That sentiment is echoed even in the season’s subplots.
This season, fans did get to see a little of Ryan, Homelander’s son, and what has become of him since his mom’s death. Although the actor, Cameron Crovetti, hasn’t been onscreen too much since his character’s reveal, that could change in upcoming seasons. With Ryan now attached to his dad’s hip, the future Homelander could prove an interesting plot line for the Prime series.
Who Is Cameron Crovetti?
Crovetti plays the role of Ryan inThe Boys, but who is the young actor? He began his career in the theatre before booking his first role on an episode ofBlack-ishin 2017. Soon after that, he scored his first real role as Josh Wright inBig Little Lieson HBO from 2017-2019. Since then, the actor has been featured in shows likeDirty John(2020) andfilms likeThe Gray Man(2022), where he portrayed a young Ryan Gosling.
He also is slated for multiple upcoming projects, including starring opposite Academy Award-nominated actress Naomi Watts (The Glass Castle,2017) with his twin brother Nicholas in Prime OriginalGoodnight Mommy, directed by Matt Sobel (Take Me to the River,2015).
Who Is The Boys' Ryan?
Theyoungest supe inThe Boysis the son of Homelander, the unhinged head of the Seven. His mother, Becca Butcher (Shantel VanSanten), was sexually assaulted by Homelander (Antony Starr), which later resulted in his conception. His mother then faked her death and hid herself and her son away from Homelander in hopes of raising him to be a good person. Her husband, Billy Butcher (Karl Urban), would later attempt to avenge her death and take Homelander down in the years to come. However, Billy discovered his wife and Ryan were alive and well. Once Homelander also found them out, Ryan was forced to spend time with Homelander as he was trying to find out if his son had inherited any powers.
Related:The Boys Season 4: Which Comic Characters Could We See Next?
At first, Ryan was thrilled to have a father around but soon began to dislike Homelander and how he treated his mother. His mother then teamed up with Butcher and his team in an attempt to escape and get rid of Homelander. However, in a fit of rage against Stormfront (Aya Cash), Ryan accidentally lasered his mother, killing her. He was taken by an agent to live with, off the grid, without Homelanders knowledge. Butcher would visit and eventually became a father figure to the young supe.
However, that too was short-lived when Butcher, who thought he was doing what was best, left Ryan, just in time for Homelander to swoop in and play the dear-old-dad routine. He then presented Ryan for the first time to the public as his son, marking the beginning of something interesting to be explored infurther seasons ofThe Boys.
Will Ryan Be the Next Homelander?
Although it doesn’t look good for Ryan’s future so far, there could be hope. When creator Eric Kripke was asked about whether Ryan will take after Homelander or Butcher more, he toldDistractify:
“Ryan is just a kid who needs a dad. Butcher sort of abdicated that responsibility. Homelander wants Ryan to be just like him. Butcher is terrified that Ryan is just like him. And in that conflict, Ryan is sort of caught in the middle.”
Related:Why The Boys Season 3 Was the Most Controversial Season Yet
Ryan has shown in the past that he doesn’t like everything his dad does, but in the search for a father figure, will he ignore everything his mother taught him just to spite Butcher, whom he believes doesn’t care about him anymore?
Perhaps Butcher, revealed to be on borrowed time at the end of season 3, will find Ryan and, in an effort to right his wrongs before death, will get him back and away from Homelander. Karl Urban was asked about what he thinks is in store forThe Boys,and he toldSyFy:
“I don’t know, I don’t have a crystal ball and I certainly wouldn’t want to anticipate the journey of where it goes from here. But I think one of the sheer joys of working on this show is every time you open a script, you’re always surprised and shocked and delighted by what you find. I think as much as an audience can’t wait to tune into see where these characters are going, we as actors feel the same way every time we receive a new script.”
Even the young supe himself commented on the future of Ryan. When talking withThe Hollywood Reporter, Corvetti said:
“I’m very excited to see what they do with my character. Ryan has always been iffy with who he’s going to be with, Butcher or Homelander? Which one is he going to go with as his father figure?….[it] might not be so good in the next season.”
Until then, audiences will just have to wait and see what the future holds for young Ryan.
