Bad Boys: Ride Or Die’s Will Smith made sure this original star returns for the sequel even if it means resurrecting his character - Find out

If there’s one film franchise that has shattered every negative notion about movies and franchise culture, it’s the Bad Boys series. Led by Will Smith and his co-star Martin Lawrence, the franchise, which debuted in 1995, took a 17-year hiatus before returning with its third installment, Bad Boys for Life, in 2020. Four years later, in 2024, the fourth film, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, hit theaters. Audiences have consistently embraced each installment with the same love and enthusiasm, regardless of the long gaps between releases, thereby defying the usual conversations around franchise fatigue. But did you know that Will Smith personally ensured the return of an actor for the fourth film, even though his character was technically dead? 

In Bad Boys: Ride or Die, the movie introduces many new faces while Will Smith and Martin Lawrence reprise their iconic roles. However, Joe Pantoliano, who played Captain Conrad Howard in the original films, also made a surprising return. Pantoliano recently opened up about his comeback in Ride or Die and revealed that it was actually Will Smith who insisted on bringing him back.

Also Read: Bad Boys - Ride or Die Review - An angry Will Smith always makes for good entertainment, especially with a hysterical Martin Lawrence around

For those who might not remember, Joe Pantoliano’s character, Captain Conrad Howard, was a key figure in the first two films but was killed off early in the third movie. Despite this, Will Smith found a way to revive him for the fourth installment, even if only through visions. When asked by ComicBook about his return and whether he felt any additional closure, Pantoliano joked, "He just got extra cash. I think the audience was disappointed that they killed him off, so they found a way to bring him back."

By "they," Joe meant Will Smith, as he revealed that it was Will who pushed for his inclusion in Bad Boys: Ride or Die. "Will had a lot to do with that. 'We got to figure out a way to bring the Captain back.' I was really grateful that that happened," Pantoliano shared. "I didn't have direct communication with him about it, but I would get calls from [producer] Doug Belgrad, who would say, 'Look, right now it feels like this is what's going to happen.'"

The Bad Boys Franchise on OTT

Before Bad Boys: Ride or Die, the franchise consists of three films: Bad Boys (1995), Bad Boys II (2003), and Bad Boys for Life (2020). In India, all of these films are available for streaming on JioCinema and can be rented on YouTube, Google Play, and Apple TV. The second and third films are also available on Zee5 and can be watched with an OTTplay Premium subscription.

Stay tuned to OTTplay for more updates on this and everything else from the world of streaming and films.

Also Read: ”Fame is a unique monster” - Will Smith confirms the sequel of his 2007 action-thriller I Am Legend