The Boys Season 5 has begun on Amazon Prime Video, but Ryan Butcher's absence so far has left many fans puzzled about his fate, which all links back to his twist decision in the Season 4 finale. The supe seres' final season launched with a two-episode premiere that sees the Boys breaking out of prison, plotting to test their supe-killing virus against Teenage Kix, and fighting Soldier Boy.
The Boys has been delivering season finale twists for Ryan since Season 1, which confirmed he was alive and in hiding with his mother, Becca Butcher, at a secret Vought compound. He went on to accidentally kill his loving mother at Season 2's climax while trying to defend her from Stormfront. By Season 3's conclusion, Ryan left with his father, Homelander, turning his back on Billy Butcher.
What Happened to Ryan In The Boys Season 4 (And Leading Into Season 5)
Ryan spent much of Season 4 being trotted around the U.S. with Homelander, painting him as the perfect supe parent while living in Vought Tower. That all came to an end when the Seven leader found a picture of Ryan with Becca, Bully, and their dog Terror, leading him to destroy much of the apartment in a fit of rage.
Having entered the room to see his father in a rage, ordering him to "come here" angrily and telling him that "I'm your father, not him," Ryan somewhat came to his senses and left to visit Butcher and CIA Deputy Director Grace Mallory at a safe house, where, sadly, only tragedy would truly unfold.
While Butcher and Mallory had already hatched a plan to train Ryan to be their secret weapon to kill Homelander, they had different plans on broaching the subject. As Butcher aimed to ease Ryan into the notion of killing his biological father with a game of Connect Four, Mallory jumped in the deep end, revealing all the horrible truths about Homelander, including that he raped his mother.
Clearly, that wasn't something a Ryan still conflicted between his two fathers, Homelander and Butcher, was ready to hear. Lashing out against Mallory, who was plotting to trap him in the CIA base, Ryan shoved her against the wall, killing The Boys veteran ahead of the final season.
Unfortunately, Ryan fled the CIA site and wasn't seen again in Season 4. However, Butcher later committed his own politically-charged, supe-powered murder before the credits rolled, teeing up a truly diabolical final season for The Boys.
Where Is Ryan In Season 5 of The Boys, Explained
For the time being, Cameron Crovetti's Ryan is still in the wind, seemingly having realized that each of his fathers, Karl Urban's Billy Butcher and Antony Starr's Homelander, is only using him as a pawn against each other. As Butcher and Homelander's opposing fronts prepare for war, Ryan could act as more of a lone wolf in Season 5, given that he has been used by both sides.
Ryan will return in Season 5, having already been spotted in the trailers, but Amazon looks to be keeping its cards close to its chest regarding his role, as only two shots of him have been released ahead of the premiere.
Ryan has never looked so ready for battle as he does in the Season 5 trailers, sparking theories that he may be gearing up to fight Homelander. From the beginning, Ryan was teased as the only one who could defeat his tyrannical supe father, making him one of the most likely contenders to kill Homelander.
After taking a deeper dive into The Boys Season 5's marketing, many are convinced that Ryan appears a third time in the trailers as the unseen, unlucky individual that Homelander mercilessly beats on the ground.
Sadly, some reviews have indicated that fans will be disappointed in Ryan's role this season, with DiscussingFilm stating that Crovetti "feels surprisingly underutilized" and has a "limited presence." That said, as critics were only shown the first seven episodes, not the series finale, there is still hope for Ryan to come out swinging in the endgame and put an end to the Seven once and for all.
