The story of Ryan Butcher is one of the most important in “The Boys.” He is the biological son of Homelander, born with incredible powers. The character represents a major battle for the future: will he follow his father’s path or choose a different one? Since Season 2, the young actor bringing this emotional role to life is Cameron Crovetti. He took over the part from another child actor and has grown up on screen. His performance earned him a Saturn Award nomination and he is now a main cast member .
From TV Debut to Breakout Role in The Boys
Cameron Crovetti was born on March 12, 2008, in California . He started acting at a very young age. His first television role was a small part in the sitcom Black-ish in 2017 . Soon after, he landed a more significant role that put him in the spotlight. He and his real-life twin brother, Nicholas Crovetti, were cast in the HBO drama Big Little Lies.
In the show, they played the twin sons of characters played by Nicole Kidman and Alexander Skarsgård. This was a big opportunity. Cameron acted alongside major stars, and the series was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble . This early experience on a high-profile set helped prepare him for his future in “The Boys” .
Before joining the superhero series, Cameron appeared in other projects. He had roles in the film Anywhere with You and the horror movie Witch Hunt. He also played a recurring character named Ryan Broderick in the second season of the true-crime anthology series Dirty John, starring opposite Amanda Peet and Christian Slater .
Joining The Boys as Ryan Butcher
The character of Ryan Butcher first appeared at the very end of The Boys Season 1. In that brief scene, he was played by a different young actor named Parker Corno. When the character returned for Season 2, the role was recast with Cameron Crovetti. He has played Ryan ever since, starting as a recurring character and being promoted to a series regular for Season 4.
Cameron auditioned for the role before the first season of the show even aired. He only knew he would be playing the son of Homelander. His initial audition tape was based on his own imagination of the show’s tone. About a month after sending it in, he got the part .
In the story, Ryan is the result of a violent act by Homelander against Becca Butcher. He is the first naturally born “Supe” in this world, making him incredibly valuable and dangerous . For years, he was hidden away with his mother, Becca, to keep him safe. His journey on the show is a painful one, caught between the influence of his sociopathic father, Homelander, and the protective but damaged Billy Butcher, who was married to Becca .
Cameron Crovetti’s Character Arc and Key Moments
Ryan’s story is a central conflict in “The Boys.” Early on, a tragic accident led to the death of his mother, Becca, which left him traumatized and vulnerable . This set the stage for a battle over his soul.
Billy Butcher, driven by a promise to Becca, tried to protect Ryan and raise him with humanity. On the other side, Homelander used manipulation and a twisted version of love to pull Ryan toward embracing his power and a superior view of Supes over regular humans . For a long time, Ryan’s story was about this tug-of-war.
In Season 4, this conflict reached a new level. Homelander began to introduce Ryan to the public, staging a heroic rescue that went horribly wrong. Ryan accidentally critically injured a stuntman. Instead of comfort, Homelander scolded him for feeling guilt, teaching him that “humans are playthings” . This was a major turning point.
Later in the season, after learning more about his father’s crimes, a panicked Ryan accidentally caused the death of another character, Grace Mallory . These events shook him deeply. The season showed a darker shift in Ryan’s personality. In one disturbing scene at the V52 Expo, he humiliated a Vought employee, calmly watching the punishment while drinking a milkshike . This moment signaled that the innocent child might be fading, replaced by someone more aligned with Homelander’s cruel worldview.
“Cameron Crovetti described his character’s arc as initially choosing between Homelander or Butcher as a father figure, but by the third-season finale, he is leaning more towards Homelander and the character ‘might not be so good’ onwards.”
Other Notable Film and TV Projects
While “The Boys” is his most famous role, Cameron Crovetti has built an impressive filmography with other notable projects. A common thread in his career is playing younger versions of major characters.
In 2022, he played a young Ryan Gosling. He portrayed the childhood version of Gosling’s character, Sierra Six, in the big-budget Netflix action thriller The Gray Man, which was directed by Anthony and Joe Russo . That same year, he starred alongside his twin brother Nicholas and actress Naomi Watts in the Prime Video horror film Goodnight Mommy, a remake of the Austrian original .
In 2023, he appeared in the horror film Oracle. He also took on another “younger version” role in the action film Boy Kills World, starring Bill Skarsgård. Cameron and his brother played the younger version of Skarsgård’s character, named “Boy” . Beyond live-action, he has also done voice work, recurring as the character Harry Haphazard in the Disney animated series Firebuds.
The Future for Ryan and The Boys
Filming for The Boys Season 5 has been completed. This will be the final season of the main series . Creator and showrunner Eric Kripke confirmed the news, stating that the season has wrapped and the sets have been torn down . This means Cameron Crovetti’s journey as Ryan Butcher is heading toward its conclusion within the main show.
The final season is expected to be explosive, with Kripke noting that writing an ending allows the creative team to “blow the doors off it” . The season will also feature special guest stars, including Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins, reuniting them with their former Supernatural co-star Jensen Ackles, who plays Soldier Boy .
While the main series is ending, the universe is expanding. The spin-off series Gen V, set at a college for Supes, has been renewed for a second season . Other planned projects include a prequel called Vought Rising and a spin-off set in Mexico . It is always possible that Ryan’s story could continue in one of these other parts of the franchise, though nothing has been confirmed.
Fans have watched Cameron Crovetti grow up on screen over the past several years, from a young child to a teenager. Social media reactions often note how much he has changed since first appearing in Season 2, with comments like “Ryan’s growing up really fast” accompanying side-by-side photos . His performance has been central to one of the show’s most compelling and tragic storylines. As “The Boys” heads into its last season, all eyes will be on Ryan Butcher to see whose side he ultimately chooses and what kind of person he will become.
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