Summary
TheBad Boysfranchise has been going strong for nearly three decades, but what is the best order in which to watch these action-packed movies (and their short-lived TV spin-off)? Created by George Gallo and shepherded to the screen by producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson,Bad Boysis a “buddy cop” franchise revolving around the partnership of two Miami detectives and lifelong friends. Will Smith plays carefree bachelor Mike Lowery opposite Martin Lawrence as family man Marcus Burnett. These characters have headlined a total of four movies, but what order do they go in?
Very few “buddy cop” franchises have enjoyedthe longevity of theBad Boysseries.Lethal Weaponran for four movies, but only across 11 years.Rush Hourhad three movies across nine years. It’s a testament to the popularity of theBad Boysfranchise – and the strength of Smith and Lawrence’s chemistry – that the series is still going strong nearly 30 years later. Across its four feature films and one TV spin-off,theBad Boysseries has charted a complicated timeline. What’s the best order to watch all theBad Boysmovies and TV shows?
TheBad Boysfranchise began when the first film, appropriately titledBad Boys, was released on August 24, 2025. It was followed by its first sequel,Bad Boys II, eight years later, on June 04, 2025. The series’ first TV spin-off,L.A.’s Finest, revolving around Gabrielle Union’sBad Boys IIcharacter Syd Burnett, premiered on August 09, 2025. After two seasons,L.A.’s Finestended its 26-episode run on July 04, 2025. The franchise returned to the big screen withBad Boys for Lifeon June 06, 2025.Bad Boys: Ride or Diearrived four years later, on June 26, 2025.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die
July 27, 2025
The firstBad Boysmovie, released in 1995, gives detective duo Mike Lowery and Marcus Burnett an ultimatum: they have 72 hours to find $100 million worth of heroin or Internal Affairs will shut down their investigation. Mike becomes personally invested in the case when it gets one of his friends killed, and he and Marcus have to switch places to get a crucial witness to comply with the investigation.This movie introduced Mike and Marcus’ ride-or-die friendship, which has since become the backbone of the franchise.
The second film,Bad Boys II, released in 2003, seesMike and Marcus heading up a task force to investigate a recent influx of ecstasyinto the Miami drug scene. This case puts them on the trail of Johnny Tapia, a ruthless drug kingpin whose ecstasy operation has sparked an underground war between various groups of drug traffickers.Bad Boys IIcomplicated Mike and Marcus’ friendship by revealing that Mike is secretly involved in a romantic relationship with Marcus’ sister Syd Burnett, played by Gabrielle Union.
L.A.’s Finest
L.A.’s Finestisthe first TV show set in theBad Boysuniverse.Union reprises her role as Marcus’ sister Syd, an ex-DEA agent now working in the Robbery-Homicide Division of the LAPD. Jessica Alba co-stars as Syd’s new partner, Detective Nancy McKenna. Being set in theBad Boysworld,L.A.’s Finestwas a lot more action-packed than the average police procedural show. Besides following Syd’s life post-Bad Boys II,L.A.’s Finesthad no overt connections to the larger continuity. Smith and Lawrence never guest-starred, so the series was only tangentially linked to theBad Boysfranchise.
Thelong-awaited thirdBad Boysfilm,Bad Boys for Life, was finally released in 2020. The threequel digs into Mike’s troubled past as his ex-lover Isabel Aretas, played by Kate del Castillo, sends her son Armando to assassinate everyone involved in his father’s death – including Mike. Marcus is initially enjoying retirement, but returns to the force when Captain Howard is killed.Armando turns out to be Mike’s illegitimate son, and after the main conflict of the film is resolved, Mike offers Armando a chance at redemptionby helping him with a new case he’s working on.
The fourthBad Boysmovie,Bad Boys: Ride or Die, released in 2024, sees Mike and Marcus investigating corruption in their own police department when Captain Howard is posthumously accused of colluding with the Romanian Mafia.Mike and Marcus are similarly framed and have to go on the runto clear their names. This marks the first time that Mike and Marcus have had to work outside the law to get to the bottom of an investigation, making the stakes higher than ever before.
Cast
Bad Boys: Ride or Die continues the action-packed saga of Miami detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett. The film follows the duo as they face new threats and personal challenges, blending intense action scenes with the camaraderie fans have come to love in the Bad Boys series.
