While Will Smith has had a rocky personal life for some years now, the actor’s professional game was always on point. Ever since his first project, he has churned out massive blockbusters one after the other. Granted, Will is often regarded as more than a star than an actor, but his performances in films like Pursuit of Happyness and even King Richard have time and again proved people wrong. In fact, in 2019, Smith had 3 releases in the calendar year and it seemed like things would only get better.

However, that one fateful night of March 27, 2022, had a massive impact. On the one hand, was his Best Actor Award for King Richard, but on the other was the notorious Slapgate incident with comedian Chris Rock. In the wake of the altercation, as Smith was losing respect and projects in the industry, many believed this was the end of him. Half a year and some efforts of reconciliation later, things might be looking up for the Men in Black actor.

The future looks anything but bleak for Will Smith

The immediate aftermath of the infamous slap unsurprisingly saw a dip in Smith’s reputation and credibility. Apart from a decade-long ban from the Oscars, many of his ongoing or soon-to-begin projects were either on an indefinite pause or scrapped entirely. These included two Netflix films; Council and Bright 2. While there might be some ambiguity regarding the streaming giant’s reason for canceling Bright 2, the fate still remains.

Having said that, things have taken a turn for the good with a massive crowd-pleaser. We are talking about Bad Boys 4. The fourth film in the hit franchise was already behind schedule due to delays with Bad Boys for Life While it was convenient to blame it on the slap, Tom Rothman, chairman of Sony invalidated any such rumors in his interview with Deadline. He even confirmed that the film is still in the making.

“No. That was inaccurate. That movie’s been in development and still is. There weren’t any brakes to pump because the car wasn’t moving.”

Even the Will Smith Biopic by Netflix is allegedly back on track. Another film that is very much still in the pipeline is I am Legend 2, which also stars Black Panther’s Michael B. Jordan alongside Smith. However, one of Will Smith’s biggest projects to come out in the near future is, of course, Emancipation.

Emancipation puts The Fresh Prince back on the map

While this Apple TV film also suffered delays, the film is in fact out there. Grated, its official release is on December 2, 2022, Apple recently held a special screening. After six months, finally, Will Smith was generating a buzz for something other than the Oscars. Although with its great reception so far, there is chatter about yet another Oscar nomination for the actor.

Antoine Fuqua, known for his impressive films like Training Day, The Guilty, The Equaliser series, and more, directed the film. As Smith uploaded the teaser for the film on his channel, he even expressed his feelings regarding the same in the caption.

“This was the hardest movie I’ve ever made. Blood, Sweat & Tears… LITERALLY!”

Can Will Smith actually get an Oscar for this film? Only time will tell. Nevertheless, his career is far from over. Let us know your thoughts in the comments. Until Emancipation graces our screens, you can watch Seven Pounds streaming on Netflix.