Diksha Sundriyal
Disney+’s ‘Descendants: The Rise of Red’ takes the audience back to Auradon Prep, where a new crop of villain kids, aka VKs, is brought forward with the introduction of Red, the daughter of the Queen of Hearts from Wonderland. The story focuses on her and Chloe Charming, the daughter of Cinderella and Prince Charming, and their efforts to change the story of Red’s mother as they travel back in time. Returning to the roots of Auradon Prep, several old characters resurface in the movie, as it cannot go without acknowledging the main characters who helped make the franchise a success. One of those characters is Carlos de Vil. What happened to him in the ‘Descendants’ series? SPOILERS AHEAD
Carlos was Not Recast Following Cameron Boyce’s Death
One of the core four of the first three ‘Descendants movies, Carlos de Vil, is the son of Cruella de Vil and is brought to Auradon Prep with three other VKs— Evie, Jay, and Mal. Over the course of three films, they go on several adventures and shake things up at Auradon Prep. Their bond is of such importance that even one of them out of the picture would disbalance the whole dynamic, which is why, perhaps, none of them appears in ‘Descendants: The Rise of Red.’
Carlos’ disappearance from the ‘Descendants’ franchise is the sudden death of actor Cameron Boyce, who played Carlos in the first three films. The actor died on July 6, 2019, at 20 years of age. He passed away in his sleep after suffering a seizure brought about by an ongoing medical condition for which he was under treatment for a while. Boyce’s loss was a huge shock for his fans as well as his co-stars in ‘Descendants.’
One of the series’ most beloved characters, Carlos is synonymous with Cameron Boyce, and it would have been impossible to recast him without causing outrage among fans. Moreover, Boyce played the role with such depth and sincerity that no other actor could match his charm, and it would have been a huge injustice to Boyce as well as Carlos. So, the creators of the film decided not to recast Carlos and say goodbye to him just as the world had said goodbye to Boyce.
Descendants: The Rise of Red Acknowledges Carlos’ Loss
Boyce died shortly after filming the third ‘Descendants’ film dedicated to him. It was followed by the animated feature Descendants: The Royal Wedding, which also pays tribute to Boyce. Other characters in the movie acknowledge Carlos’ absence. However, the movie never directly addresses what happened to Carlos. We just see the characters wishing he was there with them.
Similarly, in ‘Descendants: The Rise of Red,’ we see Uma talk about what “Carlos would have wanted,” and she and the Fairy Godmother acknowledge his name with a deep sense of loss. This proves that canonically, Carlos is dead in the ‘Descendants’ universe. However, considering it is a film series primarily directed towards children, the filmmakers probably don’t want to risk broaching the subject of a fan-favorite character and actor. It might be considered a copout in some ways, but it is not entirely difficult to understand.
The last we saw of Carlos was in ‘Descendants 3,’ which ends with Carlos ending up with Jane, the daughter of Fairy Godmother, and crossing the bridge between Auradon and Isle of the Lost to meet with his parents, accompanied by other VKs. For fans of Carlos, this happy ending acts as a source of comfort as they can imagine Carlos living his best life, having reconnected with his parents, and having accomplished what he wanted: making the world more acceptable for VKs. In that sense, Red’s storyline does honor him in many ways, and it makes sense that the franchise would rather focus on that than present explanations of how Carlos may have died.
Read More: Descendants: The Rise of Red (2024): Where Was the Disney+ Movie Filmed?
