Summary
Warning: Major spoilers below for Bad Boys: Ride or Die!Even though nobody appears to have noticed, there is a key supporting player missing fromBad Boys: Ride or Die. Not every movie series can take an almost 20-year break and come back strong, but theBad Boysmovie franchiseis no ordinary series. The 1995 original made Will Smith a movie star and marked Michael Bay’s directional debut, while 2020’s belatedBad Boys for Liferevived the franchise after a 17-year gap, and proved there was still an audience for the misadventures of Miami detectives Mike (Smith) and Marcus (Martin Lawrence).
Bad Boys: Ride or Die’scastfeatures most of the franchise’s core ensemble returning, with Mike and Marcus forced to go on the run to clear the name of their late Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano).Ride or Diehas been a major box-office success during a summer blockbuster season in dire need of one, and there is clearly still an appetite for more.Bad Boys: Ride or Die’sendingleaves room for another outing, even if it feels like Mike and Marcus should be inching closer to retirement at this stage.
Bad Boys for Lifewas a great example of a legacy sequel that understood what viewers loved about the originals while knowing what new ingredients to add. This sequel saw Mike and Marcus forced to team with AMMO (AKA Advanced Miami Metro Operations), a team of younger, hipper detectives consisting of Vanessa Hudgens' Kelly, Alexander Ludwig’s Dorn and Charles Melton’s Rafe. Naturally, there is some early tensions between the old and new school, but byBad Boys for Life’sfinale, they all learn to work together.
While Ludwig and Hudgens' characters return for the new film (and have entered into a secret romance),Melton’s Rafe is entirely absent fromBad Boys: Ride or Die, nor is he mentioned. In a sequel that features numerous callbacks to past entries - including the surprise return of John Salley’s hacker Fletcher from the first two films - Rafe’s disappearance from the latest adventure feels a little strange.
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The duo of Martin Lawrence and Will Smith reunited once again in Bad Boys: Ride or Die, but will the action/comedy pair return for Bad Boys 5?
Even an offhand mention stating Rafe had transferred out of Miami could have easily explained his absence, butBad Boys: Ride or Dieopts not to address him at all. Rafe was a fun addition to the third movie, with his cocky attitude mirroring that of Smith’s Mike from the first two outings. It’s a pity his character doesn’t return forRide or Die- and that the film doesn’t even attempt to explain why.
How far is Riverdale from Miami anyway?
One possible explanation is that Charles Melton was busy filming the final season ofRiverdalewhenBad Boys: Ride or Diewas shooting, which overlapped somewhat in 2023.
Curiously, neitherBad Boys: Ride or Die’sfilmmakers nor Melton himself have explained why Rafe didn’t return. It’s possible scheduling issues were to blame, but it’s a question that has yet to be answered. One possible explanation is that Melton was busy filming the final season ofRiverdalewhenRide or Diewas shooting, which overlapped somewhat in 2023.
There’s also a chance Rafe was simply never intended to be part ofBad Boys: Ride or Die, since the film already has to service many characters. Melton’s acting career is on the rise thanks to projects like 2023’sMay December, and he’s next set to appear in Alex Garland’sWarfare, alongside Cosmo Jarvis and Will Poulter. Audiences can look forward to seeing more from Melton in the near future, regardless of hisRide or Dieabsence.
Martin Lawrence, Will Smith and Joe Pantoliano are the only actors to have appeared in everyBad Boysmovie.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about the lack of Melton’s Rafe inBad Boys: Ride or Dieis that most viewers haven’t seemed to notice. The cast is stacked with newcomers and familiar faces, and it’s hard to picture where Rafe would have figured into the plot. Rafe feeling like a mirror image of a young Mike could have been an intriguing angle to explore, but considering Mike’s son Armando (Jacob Scipio) plays a big role in the fourth film, Rafe may have felt surplus to requirements in that regard.
Hudgens' Kelly and Ludwig’s characters also had clearly defined roles within AMMO as the weapons specialist and techie respectively, whereas Rafe’s area of expertise was more nebulous. Melton is a charismatic performer, butif it was decided that Rafe wouldn’t have much to do inBad Boys: Ride or Die, then letting the character sit the story out was a smart move. There also remains the possibility he could return forBad Boys 5, a sequel that is lookingverylikely followingRide of Die’sfinancial tally.
Bad Boys,Bad Boys IIandBad Boys for Lifeare all currently available to stream on Hulu.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die
Cast
Bad Boys: Ride or Die continues the action-packed saga of Miami detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett. The film follows the duo as they face new threats and personal challenges, blending intense action scenes with the camaraderie fans have come to love in the Bad Boys series.
