The upcoming release of Bad Boys for Life marks the franchise return of both Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, two actors who were once on similar career paths when the original Bad Boys premiered 25 years ago. But ever since Bad Boys II released in 2003, Lawrence has seemingly disappeared from the pop culture map, especially in the past decade. So, what happened?
In 1995, Smith was best known for starring in NBC’s The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, while Martin headlined the Fox series Martin. With Bad Boys, their casting as the primary leads challenged existing trends, as white men like Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger typically headlined major blockbusters. For Smith, his charisma and charm would ultimately help transform into a proper movie star, but Lawrence took more risks with his comedy, as evidenced by his 1994 HBO special You So Crazy. Lawrence had also appeared in films like Do the Right Thing, Boomerang, and House Party - films with an entirely different vibe than Smith’s family-friendly TV series and three movie roles to that point.
A series of bad decisions and box office flops briefly de-railed Lawrence’s career after the original Bad Boys released. Lawrence's TV series ended after actress Tisha Martin made allegations of sexual misconduct, and he later suffered a nervous breakdown while directing the 1996 romantic comedy A Thin Line Between Love and Hate. By the early 2000s, Lawrence starred in notable box office hits like Blue Streak and Big Momma’s House. But when Bad Boys II released, Smith had emerged as the more bankable star. And so Lawrence slowly but surely faded into the background, at least in terms of blockbuster action cinema, while Smith earned more high-profile roles within the genre, and elsewhere.
From 2005 to 2010, Lawrence focused primarily on family films, and made lots of money thanks to Big Momma's House 2 and Wild Hogs. However, smaller scale movies like Rebound and Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins didn’t quite resonate with audiences. Lawrence then landed three consecutive box office hits: College Road Trip, Death at a Funeral, and Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son. But those films didn't set up a big blockbuster return. Instead, Lawrence seemingly put his career on hold when he got married in 2010, perhaps to spend more time with his wife and two daughters - though he did return to the big screen last year in Harmony Korine's The Beach Bum.
It's worth noting that Bad Boys III has long been in the works, dating all the way back to 2008 when Michael Bay was reportedly attached to direct. Over the subsequent years, the third franchise installment was essentially in development hell, and Lawrence quietly disappeared from movies entirely after Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son. But the joy of laughter inspired a career come-back in 2016, as Lawrence returned to the stage for the stand-up comedy special Martin Lawrence: Doin' Time. At the time, he offered some insight about his career to Esquire:
"I just want to continue to do good work. I've gotten to do a lot of things I've wanted to do and I just want to continue to do good work in whatever it is that I'm doing. And to do it at my pace. I've gotten to do so much, so now it's about the gravy."
So, producers didn't quite pluck Lawrence from obscurity for Bad Boys III. Unlike Smith, he just slowed down after a rather successful run during the 2000s. Now that Detective Marcus Burnett is back, fans are curious about how the character has evolved. And if Bad Boys III becomes a massive box office hit, or - as Lawrence might call it, "the gravy" - moviegoers will certainly be curious about the next phase of his career.