Summary

• Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are open to more Bad Boys movies, as long as there is a meaningful story worth telling.
• The success of Bad Boys: Ride or Die could pave the way for the fifth installment in the franchise.
• The box office performance of the latest movie has exceeded expectations and revived Hollywood's summer season.

Bad Boys stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence reveal their conditions for returning to the franchise for another sequel. The Bad Boys franchise began in 1995 with Michael Bay's movie of the same name, which saw Smith and Lawrence take on the roles of Miami cops Mike Lowry and Marcus Burnett. The movie was a box office success, grossing $141 million against a budget of $19 million, and spawned three sequels, with the most recent installment, the explosive Bad Boys: Ride or Die, released on June 7.

The franchise is almost 30 years old, and the box office success of Bad Boys: Ride or Die has led to discussions surrounding the possibility of Bad Boys 5 at some stage in the future. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Smith and Lawrence explained the conditions that would lead to the two of them returning for a fourth sequel. The duo both confirmed that they are open to doing more Bad Boys movies if fans are amenable, but had a few caveats, including doing fewer stunts. Check out their comments below:

Smith: Well, these younger actors are going to need to do more of the stunts, that's for sure. It is a world and characters that are just an absolute joy to be with. In a movie theater with Mike and Marcus, it just feels like home. So, as long as there's a reason — I never wanted to be one of those dudes who make sequels just because people will go. I want to make them because there is something to say and the characters have a place that they're developing to that will be interesting and fun to watch and maybe even a little helpful. Is there something that can happen in these characters' lives that is worth asking people to go to a movie theater for? And with this movie, the answer is a resounding yes.

Lawrence: We always have so much fun making these movies and you’ve got to give the fans what they want. Will and I have a great time working together, so as long as the fans want it and the demand is there, I’ll keep trying to give them what they want. We’ll have to see. You know I never say never, but it also has to make sense. If the fans ask for it, you know we could be back.

Will Ride Or Die's Success Lead To Bad Boys 5?

A Solid Box Office Haul Could Get A Sequel Greenlit

As one of the most successful buddy cop franchises of recent decades, the Bad Boys movies clearly still have a large following, and there is a good chance that Ride or Die could wind up becoming the most successful installment. The movie has already grossed more than $105 million worldwide over its opening weekend, and it could sur Bad Boys for Life's box office total of $426.5 million and become the highest-grossing movie in the series, which bodes well for its future. Below, see the current breakdown of the overall franchise's box office performance:

Hollywood has struggled at the box office this year, and summer 2024 got off to a rough start with movies such as Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and The Fall Guy coming in below expectations. That Bad Boys: Ride or Die exceeded expectations at the box office has gone some way toward helping revive the season, and it has the advantage of standing without major competition in the coming weeks. Genre-wise, the next comparable title is Deadpool & Wolverine at the end of July, thus giving Bad Boys: Ride or Die space to grow even further financially.

While Bad Boys 5 is yet to be confirmed, if Ride or Die is a success, it seems likely that a fifth movie will come to fruition at some point in the future. It will depend upon the schedules of both Smith and Lawrence, as well as how their respective ages are going to impact their ability to continue to fulfill their roles effectively. With both men open to returning to the franchise in the future, and legacy director Michael Bay making a cameo in the movie, Bad Boys: Ride or Die could mark an exciting future for the franchise.

Which Younger Actors Could Star In Bad Boys 5?

The Franchise Has Set Up Characters Who Can Take The Torch From Smith & Lawrence

As Smith intimates, a potential Bad Boys 5 could very well give more of a central role to younger cast , allowing them to bear the brunt of the action scenes. This seemed to be what Bad Boys for Life was setting up by introducing a younger team called Advanced Miami Metro Operations (AMMO) to whom they might be able to the torch. See the of the AMMO team below:

While these new Bad Boys cast did not end up becoming as central to the fourth movie as it seemed like they might, Núñez, Hudgens, and Ludwig all proved their ability to commit to the franchise's longevity by reprising their roles in Ride or Die. Melton was the only AMMO member not to appear in the new movie, possibly because of his busy schedule shooting the final season of Riverdale and his buzzy performance in Todd Haynes' May December.

In addition to giving Rita a new boyfriend, Adam (Ioan Gruffudd), Ride or Die continued the storylines of the returning AMMO by revealing that Kelly and Dorn are now dating.

In addition to the AMMO , another character who could be the focus of Bad Boys 5 is Armando Aretas, the illegitimate son of Smith's Mike Lowrey and former drug kingpin Isabel Aretas (Kate del Castillo). Armando has played an antagonistic role in the two most recent installments. The actor who plays him, Jacob Scipio, is 31 years old at the time of writing, which makes him the perfect age to continue opposing the younger cast at every turn, should Smith and Lawrence wish to take a step back from major action sequences.

Source: EW