Cameron Boyce’s Touching Tribute in Descendants 4 Reveals What Really Happened to His Character
Descendants has been one of the biggest Disney Channel Original Movie franchises since High School Musical. With iconic numbers and a talented ensemble, many fans are quick to notice this heartfelt tribute to Cameron Boyce who played Carlos, the son of Cruella de Vil, in the film series.
Cameron Boyce died on July 6, 2019. “He passed away in his sleep due to a seizure which was a result of an ongoing medical condition for which he was being treated,” a statement read from his family. Since his death, many of his Descendants cast members have given tribute to their co-star. Dove Cameron who plays Mal in the franchise got a tattoo in honor of her friend and castmate, and Booboo Stewart who plays Jay, and Sofia Carson who plays Evie continuously support The Cameron Boyce Foundation.
One of Boyce’s last projects was Descendents 3 which it was dedicated to Boyce’s memory. It was no question that Descendants 4 would have a tribute to him, but what happened to his character?
What happened to Carlos in The Descendants 4: The Rise of Red?
Carlos is presumed dead in Descendents 4. When Uma (China Anne McClain) decides to open up the school to all of the Villan Kids and decides to open the border between Auradon and Wonderland, she looks to Carlos as an inspiration. When Fairy Godmother is quite hesitant in the decision, Uma replies, “It’s what Carlos would have wanted.” She pauses while looking at a portrait of him and emotionally explains, “So don’t do it for me. Do it in honor of him.”
China Anne McClain was the only original cast member of Descendants to reprise her role in Descendents 4: The Rise of Red. “Cam was the first heartbreak I’ve ever experienced,” she explained to People. “But once I saw how excited the new generation of kids were, it reminded me of myself when we created the original films.”
“Everything came together beautifully,” she said, also referencing the opening scene of the movie. “There’s one scene that is very special to me, I’m sure the audience will be able to guess which one it is once they see the movie. Stepping back into Uma was very fulfilling, and healing for me.”
Suzanne Todd told TVLine that they were planning on a tribute from the beginning and had different iterations of it before landing with the final product. “We, the filmmakers, had some ideas about what we wanted to do, but we also had a lot of conversations with China Anne and her family about it,” Todd explained to the outlet. “She landed that moment so beautifully. And I have to say that the story point we ended up going with, about inclusion and ending this segregation in Carlos’ name, is so on point for our universe and what we’re trying to promote. The idea that we were attributing that to Carlos’ character felt 100% real and authentic.”
