Disney's 'Descendants 4' Includes Emotional Tribute To Cameron Boyce Following His Death

16 July 2024, 15:06

Descendants 4 includes beautiful Cameron Boyce tribute. Picture: Disney Channel USA via YouTube, David Livingston/WireImage

By Katie Louise Smith

Descendants: The Rise of Red, the fourth film in the beloved Disney Channel franchise, features a moving tribute to Cameron Boyce's Carlos.

Loading audio...

Beloved Disney star Cameron Boyce, who played Carlos in the Descendants movies, has been honoured in the latest instalment of the franchise with a touching tribute.

In 2019, Cameron tragically passed away at the age of 20 in his sleep due to a seizure which was a result of an ongoing medical condition.

Descendants 3 was one of Cameron's final projects, and was dedicated to his memory. When a fourth Descendants film was announced, emotional and upset fans called out Disney for pushing forward with another film without Cameron.

Now, Descendants: The Rise of Red, which acts as a spin-off to the original trilogy, includes a moving moment in remembrance of Cameron's Carlos.

Read more: Skai Jackson dedicates Dancing With The Stars routine to Cameron Boyce
Read more: Debby Ryan, Sofia Carson and more remember Cameron Boyce on his 21st birthday

Cameron Boyce appeared in the first three Descendants films as Carlos. Picture: Alamy

After Cameron's tragic death, Dove Cameron confirmed that the original cast, including Sofia Carson and Booboo Stewart, would likely not return for another film without him.

Speaking to Capital Buzz back in 2022 about returning, Dove said: "I'm gonna say no, because I don't think it would be the same without the whole original cast. It would just be different now and also we did it. We told a full story. We completed it."

In Descendants: The Rise of Red, the absences of Dove, Sofia and Booboo's characters are briefly explained away. They're still around, but they're off doing other things. Carlos' absence is a little different, though.

Dove Cameron, Booboo Stewart and Sofia Carson reunite in honour of Cameron Boyce in 2024. Picture: Getty

The new film sees Cameron's friend and Descendants co-star China Anne McClain make an emotional reference to Carlos as her character Uma seeks to open Auradon Prep to kids from "all kingdoms".

When asked by Fairy Godmother if she was sure about allowing students from Wonderland into the school, she looks to Carlos as an inspiration. Glancing at a framed portrait of Carlos, a tearful Uma then adds: "It's what Carlos would have wanted."

"So don't do it for me," she adds, as a tear rolls down her cheek. "Do it in honour of him."

The beautiful moment sadly confirms that Cameron's Carlos has passed away within the Descendants universe, although it's not explicitly stated.

Tribute to Carlos ❤️ | Descendants 4: The Rise of Red | Disney Channel US

Plans to include a tribute to Cameron had been in the works since the start of production, and there were several iterations of it before they settled on what appears in the film.

Speaking about the emotional scene, producer Suzanne Todd told TVLine: "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."

"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."

China Anne also spoke to PEOPLE about what it was like filming that beautiful moment. "Everything came together beautifully," she said about returning to the franchise following the heartbreak of Cameron's passing. "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."