‘Descendants 4’ Honors the Memory of Cameron Boyce

The Descendants franchise has become a Disney channel staple, generating stars like Dove Cameron, Sofia Carson, and Anna Cathcart. Tragedy befell the cast in 2019, when Cameron Boyce, who played Carlos in the films, passed away at 20. In Descendants: The Rise of Red, the franchise found a way to honor the actor’s memory.

Descendants follows the story of the children of famous Disney characters as they try to find their place in the world outside of their parents’ limelight. The first film focuses on the descendants of the villains as they find themselves allowed out of the island prison that they have always known and accepted into the kingdom of Auradon. These storybook characters are Jay (Booboo Stewart), son of Jafar, Evie (Sofia Carson), daughter of the Evil Queen, Mal (Dove Cameron), daughter of Maleficent, and Carlos (Cameron Boyce), son of Cruella de Vil.

Cameron Boyce’s passing

Boyce returned to his role in the second and third films of the franchise. In the third film, he appeared posthumously as he had passed away before its release. He was found unresponsive at home on July 6, 2019, due to complications from a seizure caused by epilepsy. His friends, family, and fellow costars all mourned his sudden passing, and a nonprofit was set up in his name known as The Cameron Boyce Foundation. This foundation aims to find a cure for epilepsy and put an end to SUDEP (sudden unexpected death in epilepsy).

Between the third and fourth Descendants films, we had the animated film Descendants: The Royal Wedding. Carlos is absent in this animation, though tributes are paid to his character throughout with Mal telling her friends she wishes Carlos was there with them on the joyous day and wearing a bracelet with charms that include the four original villain kid’s family crests. The film also features a tribute card for Boyce just before credits roll.

How does Descendants 4 address Carlos’ absence?

The most recent addition to the Descendants franchise, Descendants: The Rise of Red, also pays tribute to Boyce and his character. When Uma (China Anne McClain) states that, as Principal of Auradon Prep, she will open up the school to all Villain Kids, the Fairy Godmother is a little hesitant at first, until Uma looks at a photo of Carlos on the wall and emotionally responds, “It’s what Carlos would have wanted. So don’t do it for me. Do it in honor of him.”

It’s a touching moment within the first few scenes of the film that shows us how much of an impact the actor had upon the franchise and how much he meant to everyone. Talking to People, many of the actors have discussed how the fourth film very much kept Boyce in mind. Kylie Cantrall, who plays Red, stated, “Honoring who he was as a character and how beloved he was in the movies and how special his character was, but also just honoring him and his life and his legacy. It felt like he was there with us.” Malia Baker, who plays Chloe in the film also added,

“That scene is the one thing that remains true to the core of what this next generation is,” she noted. “He’s a part of it in the ways that he’s a part of all of us right now of looking up to him and being able to admire him and his work and who he was as a person. He really had such a light and an aura to him that I think was just vibrating on set. We could all feel him.” 

The Descendants franchise, including Descendants: The Rise of Red, is available to watch on Disney+.