Note: Contains spoilers for Bad Boys for Life.
Bad Boys fans were made to wait more than 15 years for the third movie, but it turned out to be worth the wait.
Back when Bad Boys for Life was first given a release date (that would change several times), there was also a fourth movie set for release two years after the first movie was originally set for release in 2017.
The various delays seem to have put paid to the idea of a Bad Boys 4 though and if Bad Boys for Life underperforms at the box office, it could well mark the end of the franchise despite the positive reviews.
Despite this, The Hollywood Reporter has reported that Sony is "making moves" for another instalment, and Bad Boys for Life does set up a fourth movie. To go into how it does, we have to head into spoiler territory, so look away now if you haven't seen the movie yet.
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After Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) is almost killed by cartel boss Armando Armas (Jacob Scipio), Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) reluctantly comes out of retirement to help out his partner "one last time".
And they soon both have a reason to track down Armando after he kills Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano), but they don't expect what they discover about the cartel boss.
It turns out that during Mike's first undercover mission, he had an affair with Armando's mother Isabel Aretas (Kate del Castillo), but he ultimately helped arrest her.
Mike was unaware that she was pregnant when she went into prison and Armando is actually his son. Yep, Isabel was getting his own son to kill Mike by telling Armando that Mike killed his father.
Talk about an awkward family reunion.
During the final battle, Isabel reveals the truth to Mike and Armando. She is killed, but Armando is only wounded and sent to prison because, cop's son or not, he murdered a whole bunch of people.
Mike's other ex Rita (Paola Núñez) is promoted to captain and, while it's not confirmed, it looks like Mike might take over her former position as the head of task squad AMMO, who helped Mike and Marcus track down the drug cartel.
And, surprise surprise, Marcus reveals that they really are "bad boys for life" and decides not to retire.
In a mid-credits scene, Mike visits his son in prison with an opportunity to shorten his sentence, as long as Armando helps out on a new case.
Bad Boys 4: The Redemption of Armando, anyone?
Bad Boys 4 cast: Who would be back?
If there were to be a fourth movie, then Will Smith and Martin Lawrence would be back as Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett, of course. THR has claimed that both are "expected" to return.
Most of the main players from the third movie are likely to return as well, including Paola Núñez as Rita, the new Miami PD Captain, Jacob Scipio as Armando, Vanessa Hudgens as AMMO member Kelly and Alexander Ludwig as fellow AMMO member Dorn.
Sadly, Joe Pantoliano won't be back as Captain Howard, unless there's a flashback sequence or something similar.
Could we see Gabrielle Union back as Marcus's sister Syd? She didn't return for the third movie as "there was no spot in the story", but Smith did hint that Union could be in Bad Boys 4.
Off-screen, THR also reported that screenwriter Chris Bremner, who worked on Bad Boys for Life, has been "tapped" to write the script.
Bad Boys 4 release date: When can we expect it?
In an alternate timeline, the fourth movie would have hit cinemas on July 3, 2019, but after it was taken off the release schedule, it hasn't received another date.
That's not a surprise since it was unclear if there would even be a third movie. Should Bad Boys for Life be a box office success though, the fourth movie could happen and if it's officially confirmed soon, there's a chance we could see it in 2022.
The third movie started filming in January 2019 and a little over a year later, it's in cinemas, so a similar schedule means either a late 2021 release or early 2022 release isn't out of the question.
THR claimed that a potential fourth movie isn't expected to have the same delay we saw between Bad Boys II and Bad Boys for Life.
Bad Boys for Life is in cinemas now.
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Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.
