After watching It Ends with Us, many fans are curious about whether Ryle will return in a potential sequel, especially given the continuation of Colleen Hoover’s story in her books.
In February 2022, Atria Books announced a sequel to It Ends with Us, titled It Starts with Us. This highly anticipated follow-up was released on October 18, 2022, but received mixed reviews from readers and critics.
It Starts with Us picks up the story from where It Ends with Us left off and explores the evolving relationship between Lily and Atlas in greater depth. While the sequel focuses on their developing connection, it leaves questions about Ryle’s role and future in Lily’s life unanswered.
Ryle’s fate and his presence in Lily’s story are not extensively detailed in the sequel’s synopsis, leaving fans to wonder about his impact on the narrative moving forward.
How Ryle’s Story Differs in ‘It Ends With Us’
In the film adaptation of It Ends with Us, director Justin Baldoni and screenwriter Christy Hall made a notable change from the book’s ending.
In Colleen Hoover’s novel, Lily ends up co-parenting with Ryle after he meets their daughter. However, the movie omits Ryle entirely. When Lily (played by Blake Lively) meets Atlas again a few years later and he inquires about Ryle (played by Baldoni), Lily reveals that it’s just her and their daughter Emerson.
Baldoni explained to The Wrap that he had originally planned a scene for the epilogue where Ryle and Lily have a brief interaction, showing that they had worked through their issues over the past two years. Ultimately, he decided against including Ryle in this way because it didn’t align with the film’s message about the realities of abusive relationships, where reform is uncommon.
Given that the film leaves Ryle out of Lily’s life, a sequel based on It Starts with Us could see further changes to his character and role.
In It Starts with Us, Ryle’s presence remains a troubling force in Lily’s life after their divorce, creating significant stress as she tries to rekindle her relationship with Atlas. Ryle’s jealousy and violent tendencies cause ongoing conflict, particularly when he discovers Lily’s old journals mentioning Atlas, leading to a volatile confrontation. His anger also extends to the name of Lily’s daughter, Dory, which he connects to Atlas, escalating his rage.
Ryle’s behavior includes threatening texts, physical confrontations, and an assault on Lily, which forces her to seek safety with Atlas and their daughter. His final interactions with Lily, Allysa, and Marshall involve demands for anger management and supervised visits with Emerson. Despite agreeing to seek help, Ryle’s abusive behavior continues to be a major obstacle for Lily and Atlas as they try to build their future together.
Given the significance of Ryle’s role in It Starts with Us, it’s likely he will play a prominent part in any film adaptation of the sequel.
It Ends with Us is currently in theaters.
