The Boys Had A Third Ryan Butcher Actor That Fans Probably Missed

It was only after fans rewatched the entirety of "The Boys" in preparation for the season 4 premiere that many realized that the actor who played Ryan Butcher in the season 1 finale had been recast with the series' current actor, Cameron Crovetti. The introduction of the character was a glorified cameo, but when Crovetti took over in season 2, Ryan became what showrunner Eric Kripke would later call, "the key to season 4." With such an expanded role, the creative team wanted a more experienced child actor, and they found that with Crovetti. Fans became so familiar with the performance that they completely forgot the role wasn't originally his, which is understandable considering there was over a year of time separated from season 1 and season 2. Having two actors play one character isn't unheard of and recasting decisions happen all the time, but there's a third actor who has portrayed Ryan Butcher, and this one is definitely harder to notice upon rewatches.

In addition to the original actor Parker Corno — who played Ryan when he was credited as "8-year-old Boy" in the season 1 finale — Cameron Crovetti has been joined by his twin brother Nicholas in playing Ryan Butcher. In an interview with Hollywood Life, the Crovetti brothers' mother Denise explained that Nicholas and Cameron certainly don't share the role, but if "The Boys" runs late, Nicholas sometimes gets a call — like, for example, the big scene in season 2 where Homelander throws his son off the roof to see if he'll fly. "When you shoot with kids, obviously, you only get a finite amount of time," she explained. "They lost the time, and they had to shoot a really important scene [...] that took a lot of time and they needed somebody."

Hence, Nicholas showed up to save the day.

As Denise Crovetti explained further, a producer was ecstatic upon learning Cameron had a twin brother. Funnily enough, Nicholas had also auditioned for the role of Ryan Butcher, but it was his brother who booked the job. "Cameron and Nicolas audition for the same stuff, and sometimes Nicky will get it over Cameron," she said. "It just depends. They're two different people, two different reads. Cameron ended up getting 'The Boys.'" The brothers may look identical, but their personalities are pretty distinct.

They're also well-versed in playing twins in addition to being twins, as they starred as Max and Joe Wright on "Big Little Lies," the sons of Nicole Kidman's character Celeste. In fact, it was Nicholas' character Max who was at the center of the shocking reveal in the first season's final episodes. This also means that both boys were at the dinner table when Meryl Streep's Mary Louise Wright lets out a primal scream in season 2 — a moment that has become a meme sensation.

But it's the U.S. remake of "Goodnight Mommy" where the Crovetti brothers were really given the chance to shine. The thrilling horror picture sees the duo playing brothers named Elias and Lukas, who are convinced that their mother has been replaced by an imposter. They were only 13 at the time yet held their own acting opposite of Academy Award-nominated Naomi Watts. The film is currently available to stream on Prime Video for those looking to see both brothers acting together beyond a blink-and-you'll-miss-it switcheroo on "The Boys."

It's doubtful that Nicholas will step in as Ryan Butcher in a more substantial role unless there's a scene with a supe like Doppelganger who can perfectly shapeshift and mimic another person. It certainly would save the VFX team a huge headache to bring in Nicholas instead of trying to double Cameron. When he stepped in for his brother in season 2, it was so Cameron could film a different scene elsewhere that was less physically intensive. "Nicky was asked to basically come in and be Cameron's double for the [roof throwing] scene," their mother explained in the same interview. Photos taken of Nicholas were used to assist the CGI of Ryan Butcher falling off the roof but the brothers loved getting the chance to work together on the series, even if it was only for a short while.

Both Crovetti boys were recently seen in "Boy Kills World" as the younger version of Bill Skarsgård's character, as well as the horror film "The Oracle" (where they once again played twins). While Cameron has been busy with "The Boys," Nicholas is slated to next appear in the long-awaited adaptation of Stephen King's "Salem's Lot" as Danny Glick. If you recall the original two-part mini-series adaptation from 1979, you're likely scarred by the unexpected appearance of a vampirish Danny Glick appearing in the window. It's a perfect role for Nicholas and much like the McGraw sisters of "The Black Phone" and "M3GAN" fame, the Crovetti brothers are continuing to prove they are the future of twisted genre projects.

"The Boys" is available to stream on Prime Video.