Why Ryan Is Missing In The Boys Season 5 Explained

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Season 5 of The Boys kicked off with a bang on Prime Video, immediately delivering the show’s signature outrageous humor and intense action. The first two episodes effectively re-establish the key players – both heroes and villains – and reunite the Boys after a year-long separation, while also introducing the new leadership at Vought under Homelander. Over the past year, the characters have evolved in different ways; Hughie remains optimistic, while Ashley is pursuing acting opportunities, even auditioning for the upcoming Harry Potter series.

A key character missing from early looks at season 5 is Ryan Butcher, who has become increasingly important to the plot since his introduction in season 2 (played by Cameron Crovetti). He’s a crucial link to Becca for Billy Butcher, and represents a potential companion for the isolated Homelander. Throughout the series, Ryan has been caught in the middle of these two father figures, but after seemingly choosing Homelander in season 4, the two are no longer together at the start of season 5.

Based on what we know, it seems Ryan has run away. However, a trailer for season 5 of The Boys shows that actor Cameron Crovetti will be back, which is puzzling. This makes us wonder where Ryan is hiding and why he left.

Ryan Is Hiding From Homelander When The Boys Season 5 Begins

In the first two episodes of The Boys, Ryan is only briefly mentioned in a conversation between Homelander and Sister Sage. Homelander expresses outrage at rumors he killed his son, and Sage assures him that Vought’s explanation – that Ryan is at a boarding school in Norway – is still believed by the public, so there’s no immediate problem.

After this, there are only two possibilities: either Homelander is hiding Ryan, or Ryan has left on his own. It seems much more probable that Ryan ran away himself.

Throughout the series, The Boys has established that Ryan’s powers are comparable to Homelander’s, and he might even become more powerful. Homelander wouldn’t be able to find a secure facility capable of holding Ryan for a long period. Even if he did, he’d likely destroy it, worried someone could use it against him.

In the second episode of The Boys season 5, Homelander is shown to be incredibly lonely, leading him to surprisingly seek forgiveness from Soldier Boy – the man who tried to kill him in season 3 and, more importantly in Homelander’s eyes, publicly embarrassed him. If Homelander had been secretly keeping Ryan hidden, it’s hard to believe he wouldn’t have first tried to reconnect with his son before turning to Soldier Boy for comfort.

It seems Ryan is deliberately avoiding Homelander, which is humiliating for his father. After Homelander enthusiastically presented Ryan as a future superhero to the world in season 4, Ryan suddenly stopped appearing in public.

Why Ryan Might’ve Left In The Boys Season 5

The season 4 finale of The Boys clearly shows why Ryan needs time to himself. He had a major conflict with Homelander because of his continued feelings for Billy Butcher, discovered the shocking truth about Homelander and his mother, and accidentally killed Mallory while losing control of his powers. Considering his difficult past – being raised in a fabricated environment, unintentionally harming his mother, and then being pulled between two father figures – that’s a huge amount for anyone, especially Ryan, to cope with.

Ryan is expected to return in the final season of The Boys, and it will be fascinating to see whose side he takes. Will he follow in his father’s footsteps, or will he seek revenge on Homelander like Butcher? Perhaps he’ll forge his own path and live up to his mother’s legacy.

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2026-04-09 15:18