The Bad Boys franchise was such a runaway success that fans kept on demanding more sequels nearly two decades after its 2003 installment. After what felt like forever, the long-awaited third installment, Bad Boys for Life, hit theaters in 2020, blowing up the box office. And before one could blink, news of Bad Boys 4 started making the rounds. Now, with the release date of Bad Boys: Ride or Die just around the corner on June 7th this year, Will Smith reimagined the buddy cop duo in a completely different avatar.  

Smith shared the PlayStation versions of himself and Martin Lawrence as a part of his promotions for their upcoming movie. 

Will Smith recently hit up Instagram to share a bunch of pictures of himself and Martin Lawrence. These shots, neatly arranged in a carousel, were taken straight from the Bad Boys franchise. But what really caught attention was the PlayStation 2 renditions of the pair that Smith dropped, jokingly captioning the post, “Bad Boys if we were a PS2 game hahaha”. While the idea of seeing the cop duo in a gaming format was intriguing, it is not forgotten that there had already been PlayStation versions of the Bad Boys in the past.

Back in 2004, Bad Boys: Miami Takedown hit the shelves in the US, making its debut on PS2, Xbox, and PC, all priced at a wallet-friendly $20. Inspired by the buddy cop flick Bad Boys II, the game allowed players to step into the shoes of either character, Mike or Marcus. Offering both first and third-person viewpoints, players got to experience the game through the distinct lenses of each character's personality and traits. Apart from bringing the buddy cop back to the screens, the upcoming movie will also present Will Smith an opportunity to make a comeback. 

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The timing of Bad Boys 4, however, is making it look like it could be a major test for the actor's rapport with audiences.

The confirmation of Bad Boys 4 came nearly a year after the dramatic Oscars incident involving Will Smith. The incident, which dominated discussions surrounding the tumultuous 2022 Oscars, left Smith's acting career hanging in the balance as he lost many projects he was about to star in. As Bad Boys 4 comes closer, it looks like the fallout from that controversy could haunt his career. 

The reception and box office success of Bad Boys 4 will undoubtedly be seen as a barometer of audience sentiment towards Will Smith's past actions. However, given the significant shifts in the box office landscape since the release of Bad Boys for Life, and the response to the upcoming movie's trailer, there is hope that Bad Boys 4 could far surpass the $158.8 million threshold needed to propel the franchise into billion-dollar territory.

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What do you think about the recent promotion of Bad Boys 4 by Will Smith? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!