Summary
TheBad Boysfranchise has been around for almost 30 years, andBad Boys: Ride or Dieincluded plenty of returning actors from previous entries. As the fourth film in the series,Bad Boys: Ride or Diehad a lot to live up to and more than delivered on audiences' expectations of returning characters and seeing familiar faces. While the reappearance of Martin Lawrence and Will Smith as police partners, Marcus Burnett and Mike Lowery, was pretty much guaranteed, other returning actors were less assured.
Bad Boys: Ride or Diedid a great job of paying homage to the legacy of this buddy cop action franchise while also telling a story that felt modern and relevant. Plenty of characters from past movies showed up, and it was great as a viewer to witness the continuity between the very firstBad Boysand this latest installment. With some surprise appearances andnotableBad Boyscameos,seeing all the returning actors inBad Boys: Ride or Diewas a big part of this newest movie’s appeal.
12Jacob Scipio
Jacob Scipio as Armando Aretas
The British actor Jacob Scipio joined theBad Boysfranchise in 2020 as the villain Armando Aretas inBad Boys for Life. A central antagonist, Armando, was the son of Isabel Aretas and Mike Lowrey, of whose existence Mike was totally unaware. WhileScipio joined the franchise as a villain, his character became an ally of Mike and Marcus inBad Boys: Ride or Dieas a helicopter crash led to him becoming a fugitive and helping with the plan to clear the late Captain Conrad Howard’s name that had been unfairly dragged through the mud.
Scipio’s career started with short films and British television series, and he made his acting debut in a major feature in theBad Boysfranchise. Since then, Scipio has built a resume with parts in films likeThe Unbearable Weight of Massive TalentandExpend4bles. Now Scipio has returned to reprise his first role inBad Boys for Life,where he’s showcased his importance to the overall narrative, familial connection, and growing bond with his father, Mike.
11Paola Núñez
Paola Núñez as Rita Secada
Paola Núñez first appeared inBad Boys for Lifeas Rita Secade, the head of the Advanced Miami Metro Operations (AMMO) and ex-girlfriend of Mike Lowery. InBad Boy: Ride or Die, Rita assisted with the plan to clear Howard’s name and was also seen as the new girlfriend of the mayoral candidate, Adam Lockwood. With an important connection to Mike’s past, it was great to see the duo reunited once again inBad Boys: Ride or Dieas their interesting dynamic as former lovers played out.
Núñez hailed from Mexico and has been known for her appearance in many Spanish-language movies and television series over the years. She has also appeared in other major productions likeThe Purgeanthology show, theResident Eviltelevision series, andThe Fall of the House of Usheron Netflix. As a talented actress across different genres,Núñez has been making a name for herself in ever-larger productions in recent years, with her role in theBad Boysfranchise being one of her most significant parts.
10Vanessa Hudgens
Vanessa Hudgens as Kelly
While many viewers will knowVanessa Hudgens from her breakout role in theHigh School Musicalseries, she’s also recognizable as the recurring character Kelly in theBad Boysfranchise. Hudgens appeared in bothBad Boys for LifeandBad Boys: Ride or Dieas a weapons expert for AMMO. With a significant following outside of theBad Boysfranchise, Hudgens was a great addition to the cast, whose appearance will help encourage viewers unfamiliar with this action-comedy series to give this latest installment a chance.
Hudgens made her film debut in 2003 with the release of the controversial teen dramaThirteenand she soon became a household name due to the mainstream success ofHigh School Musical. As a talented and versatile actress,Hudgens also had acclaimed rolesin the crime comedySpring Breakersand the musical biopicTick, Tick… Boom!The inclusion of Hudgens as Kelly in theBad Boysfranchise added to its already impressive roster of secondary characters.
9Alexander Ludwig
Alexander Ludwig as Dorn
Another actor who joined theBad Boysfranchise in 2020 with the release ofBad Boys for Lifewas Alexander Ludwig as the tech expert for AMMO named Dorn. InBad Boys: Ride or Die, Dorn was revealed to be dating his fellow AMMO member Kelly, which added complexity to the unique relationships between the different characters. As a series that first began in the 1990s, including actors like Lugwig as Dorn helped add youthful energy to the series as its main stars have grown older.
Ludwig is a Canadian actor and musician who first gained recognition as a teenager in films likeThe Seeker: The Dark Is RisingandRace to Witch Mountainbefore he gained the role of Cato inThe Hunger Games. However, Ludwig’s most notable role was as Björn Ironside in the historical dramaVikings. Over the years,Ludwig has slowly built up an impressive array of credits, and his role in theBad Boysseries has given him some real action movie credentials.
8John Salley
John Salley as Fletcher
The former basketball player John Salleyhas been involved with theBad Boysfranchise since the very first movie and even returned for the most recent installment,Bay Boys: Ride or Die. Salley portrayed Fletcher, the hacker Mike and Marcus pulled out of custody to hack into Officer Eddie Dominguez’s police database profile, a role he reprised inBad Boys IIand the spin-off TV showLA’s Finest. With this long-standing history in mind, it was great to see Salley return as Fletcher nearly 30 years after he first appeared in the series.
Salley’s athletic career saw him play basketball for the Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, Panathinaikos, and Los Angeles Lakers. Alongside his sports achievements, Salley has built up an impressive array of film and TV credits and has also frequently made guest appearances on reality TV shows. As a character who dated back to the franchise’s beginning, the return of Salley as Fletcher was a testament to theBad Boysseries' impactful legacy.
7DJ Khaled
DJ Khaled as Manny the Butcher
Like so many other returning characters,DJ Khaled made hisBad Boysdebut in the third movie as Manny the Butcher, a former confidential informant of Mike Lowery. InBad Boys for Life, Manny was adamant that he left his criminal life behind him, but a bounty of $5 million on Mike Marcus was enough to lure Manny back to his wayward ways. It was out of this context that Mike and Marcus encountered Manny once again with a gang of bikers, all eager to take their cut of money.
DJ Khaled, as his name suggested, was notable for his work as a DJ, record producer, and record executive, as he’s worked with some of the biggest names in music. However, through theBad Boysfranchise, he’s also signaled an interest in acting and previously worked with Will Smith as a voice in the animated filmSpies in Disguise. It was exciting to see Khaled return to theBad Boysseries inBad Boys: Ride or Dieamong the impressive list of cameo appearances from notable characters.
6Bianca Bethune
Bianca Bethune as Megan Burnett
Bianca Bethune has been part of theBad Boysseries since the second installment and played Marcus' daughter Megan inBad Boys II,Bad Boys for Life, and nowBad Boys: Ride or Die. An important part of the series, Megan’s relationship with her boyfriend and later husband, Reggie, contributed to some of the funniest moments inBad Boys. As Marcus’s only daughter, his overprotective nature toward his child has always been a source of great humor inBad Boys.
Bethune’s role inBad Boyswas among the most significant in her career and one she has returned to over the years. Outside theBad Boysfranchise, Bethune has also made several TV appearances in sitcoms likeEverybody Hates ChrisandZoey 101. However, Bethune’s largest non-Bad Boysrole was asSharee Gifford in the teen dramaSwitched At Birth, where she appeared in 16 episodes.
5Dennis Greene
Dennis Greene as Reggie McDonald
The return of Dennis Greene as Reggie McDonald inBad Boys for Lifewas a real highlight of the series, as his first appearance was among the funniest moments inBad Boys II. That’s why it was so great to see Reggie return once again inBad Boys: Ride or Die.Now firmly rooted in Marcus’ family and married to Megan, Reggie’s appearances have remained some of the most hilariousBad Boysmoments as Marcus undermines his career as a U.S. Marine Master Sergeant.
As an actor, Dennis Greene’s most significant appearances have been in theBad Boysseries, and he was not known for any other work outside of it. This lack of other acting experience outside the franchise made it all the more special to see Greene return as Reggie in the two most recentBad Boysmovies. As a real fan-favorite character, Reggie’s inclusion conjured up nostalgia for the previous entries in the franchise.
4Michael Bay
Michael Bay as a Porsche driver
Michael Bay’s surprise cameo appearance inBad Boys for Lifewas an incrediblescene that set the bar very high forBad Boys: Ride or Die. As the director of the first two installments in the series,seeing Bay show up acted as a powerful reflection of the franchise’s legacyand felt like a symbolic passing of the torch, as it was the firstBad Boysfilm he was not as actively involved in. While viewers had hoped Bay would return for the fourth movie, this was not a certainty, so it was a nice surprise to see him once again.
However, rather than reprise his role as the speaker at Marcus' daughter’s marriage to Reggie, it seemed he played a new character inBad Boys: Ride or Die. Here, Bay played a Porsche driver who told Mike and Marcus to get off the road. As the characters did not seem to recognize one another, the assumption can be made that this was an entirely different character from the one he had already played inBad Boys for Life.
3Joe Pantoliano
Joe Pantoliano has appeared in everyBad Boysmovie as Captain Conrad Howard, although whenBad Boys: Ride or Diewas first announced, his inclusion was not so certain. This was because Captain Howard died in the thirdBad Boysmovie, which was a heartbreaking development for one of the most beloved characters in the entire franchise. However, the latest movie paid homage to Howard’s character and had a plot that revolved around clearing his name after he was wrongfully accused of having ties to drug cartels.
Despite his character’s death, Pantoliano appeared inBad Boys: For Lifethrough recorded footage that showed the character before his death. Pantoliano’s volatile performance asCaptain Howard was a series highlight and helped giveBad Boysits unique identity. Pantoliano has had an acclaimed acting career that’s included roles in everything fromThe SopranostoThe Matrix; he also had early roles inMAS*Hand movies likeRisky Business, being a mainstay of Hollywood for the past 40 years.
