We reveal if Bad Boys for Life has a post-credits scene setting up a fourth movie in the Bad Boys franchise. Released in 1995, the first Bad Boys is a buddy cop action-comedy that marked the feature directorial debut for Michael Bay (who got his start making commercials and music videos). It went on to become a surprise hit at the box office and made bigger names out of its stars Martin Lawrence and Will Smith, at a time when Lawrence wast still an up and coming comedian and Smith was trying to use his run on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as a springboard for a successful movie career.
Bad Boys II was released eight years later, but only just turned a profit despite grossing nearly twice as much as its predecessor. The problem was its budget ($130 million versus $19 million for the first Bad Boys), and the potentially higher cost of Bad Boys 3 - due to the combined salaries Bay and Smith were demanding at the time - prevented the sequel from getting off the ground until early 2019, when production finally began. Ultimately, Bay didn’t return for Bad Boys for Life and was replaced by directing duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah (Black, Gangsta), with Lawrence and Smith reprising their roles.
In spite of all the time and effort it took to make Bad Boys for Life a reality, Sony is very clearly interested in releasing more Bad Boys films in the future. Bad Boys for Life includes not one, but TWO post-credits scenes, though only the first one directly sets the stage for Bad Boys 4. Audiences won’t have to wait long to see them, either, as they start playing almost back to back right after the movie proper ends. There aren’t any extra surprises after that, though (as always) it’s recommended viewers sit through the credits to see who was involved in making the film.
With a $90 million price tag, there’s no guarantee Bad Boys for Life will be profitable enough to justify making Bad Boys 4. But, just in case it is, the movie introduces a handful of younger characters who can help to carry the franchise from this point forward. Assuming all the pieces fall into place, Bad Boys 4 should have a much easier time getting into production than the two films before it (especially considering the rapid-fire turnaround between sequels in Hollywood these days).
First things first, though, Bad Boys for Life need to become a hit for that to happen. The early response from critics has been unexpectedly positive (it’s sitting at 75 percent Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes after 60 reviews), so the film may yet succeed in connecting with its target audience. If it does, the first Bad Boys for Life post-credits scene paints a pretty clear picture of where the franchise will go next.
- Bad Boys 3 Release Date: 2020-01-17
