Bad Boys 4 Cameo & How It’s A Callback To Bad Boys II Explained By Co-Director

The following contains spoilers for Bad Boys: Ride or Die.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die continues to feature numerous homages to previous movies. Ride or Die is the fourth movie in the franchise and stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett. In it, the two buddy cops work desperately to honor the name of their former captain, while again struggling against a running clock. Ride or Die released to excellent audience reviews and a strong opening weekend at the box office, where it is expected to earn over $50 million.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, co-director Adil El Arbi was asked about Michael Bay’s cameo in Ride or Die. While he played the Wedding MC in Bad Boys II, the director chose to use his appearance as an homage to the sequel. He compared how Bad Boys for Life tied into the original movie and explained that Ride or Die was meant to serve the same purpose as Bad Boys II. He also offered some insight into the truth behind the black Porsche. Check out his quote below:

Yeah, this is true. Bad Boys for Life was more of an homage to the first Bad Boys, and
Bad Boys: Ride or Die is more of an homage to Bad Boys II
. And, absolutely, it’s a good callback to that moment in Bad Boys II. Also, the black Porsche in Bad Boys: Ride or Die is actually the car from the first Bad Boys, so we have a double homage or double Easter egg there.

Bad Boys: Ride Or Die Honors Bad Boys And Bad Boys II

The Michael Bay Cameo Is An Homage To Previous Bad Boys Movies

Michael Bay’s most recent Bad Boys cameo is a humorous scene that features him becoming immensely frustrated with the movie’s leads after they decide to roam onto the street, while numerous cars streak by. Bay plays a driver in a black Porsche and does not seem to recognize them. That means that he is not playing the same role as he did in Bad Boys II, but he is still driving the same type of car. It was so prominent in the first movie that it produced an entire scene solely devoted to Mike defending his car from criticism.

Even while honoring Bad Boys II, Ride or Die is still offering some attention to the original 1995 movie. While the Porsche is not the exact same as the first Porsche that Smith’s character revered in Bad Boys, its appearance here is a clever nod to the movie. It also serves to offer some hints of continuity, even despite Bay playing a different character. The connection is subtle, as many viewers may not have seen Bad Boys or its sequel, but it is still a good way to connect the franchise to its roots.

The Bay cameo is also a nod to the original. After all, Bay only had the cameo in the sequel because he was the director of the first two movies. He did not direct the follow-ups, Bad Boys for Life or Ride or Die. Yet, by including so many homages and by letting Bay appear in a cameo role, directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah ensured that they are still respecting the source material and the first director that the franchise ever had. Bay and the Porsche both contribute to making Bad Boys: Ride or Die a memorable sequel.

Source: THR

Bad Boys: Ride or Die

Bad Boys: Ride or Die is the fourth installment in the action-comedy film series starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. The series centers on hard-boiled Miami detectives Mike Lowery and Marcus Burnett, who take on dangerous drug kingpins and thwart dangerous schemes as they attempt to stop the circulation of illicit drugs in their city.

Director

Adil El Arbi , Bilall Fallah

Release Date

June 7, 2024

Studio(s)

Columbia Pictures , 2.0 Entertainment , Don Simpson Films , Jerry Bruckheimer Films , Westbrook Studios

Distributor(s)

Sony Pictures Releasing

Writers

Chris Bremner

Cast

Will Smith , Martin Lawrence , Vanessa Hudgens , Alexander Ludwig , Paola Núñez , Eric Dane , Ioan Gruffudd , Tasha Smith

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