Why exactly did Will Smith turn down a lead role in Independence Day: Resurgence? In the original 1996 film, Independence Day, he headlined the main cast as Captain Steven Hiller, and subsequently transformed into an A-list movie star. Approximately two decades later, Smith made a fateful decision that naturally affected the blockbuster appeal of Independence Day: Resurgence.
In June 1996, Smith was well-known for his musical collaborations with DJ Jazzy Jeff, and for starring in the NBC series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. By 1995, he teased his big-screen potential by co-starring with Martin Lawrence in Bad Boys, but it was Independence Day that truly transformed Smith into a household name. He and Vivica A. Fox diversified the mostly-white cast as Hiller and Jasmine Dubrow, respectively, and the epic nature of the storyline allowed for Smith to showboat at the appropriate places, all the while showing restraint for the most dramatic scenes. Produced for $75 million, Independence Day hauled in over $800 million at the box office.
After Fox greenlit Independence Day: Resurgence in November 2014, there were conflicting reports about Smith's absence. One year prior, Emmerich stated that his preferred leading man was "too expensive," and later revealed (via HeyUGuys) that Smith's character was indeed part of the original script. When new writers were hired, the storyline shifted to a new generation, which meant that Captain Steven Hiller could be written out. In February 2016, however, Smith stated (via BBC Radio 1Extra) that it was a matter of making the right career move. So, rather than reprising a famous role 2o years after-the-fact, he aligned himself with the DCEU for Suicide Squad.
“It was one of those things — I had a couple of films lined up, I had Concussion and Suicide Squad, and so it was a decision, timing-wise, between Independence Day and Suicide Squad... They were sending pictures from the set, and I was like, ahh.”
Whereas Independence Day: Resurgence had a budget of $165 million, Suicide Squad cost a similar amount at $175 million. Both films were mostly panned by critics, however the DCEU production nearly doubled the sequel's box office take with around $750 million. For Smith, it was about making the right choice for the next phase of his career. He earned a Golden Globe nomination for his performance as Dr. Bennet Omalu in Concussion, and Suicide Squad allowed him to connect with a new generation of movie fans. Smith summed up his thoughts during the aforementioned BBC interview:
“The world is in a place of nostalgia right now... Specifically in entertainment, there’s such a pull for nostalgia, so it was just the perfect opportunity and it didn’t work out.”
Independence Day: Resurgence honors Smith's contributions in the original film through several visual references, along with the reveal that his character passed away while testing a craft built with alien technology. The storyline revolves around Dylan Hiller (Jessie Usher), the step-son of Steven Hiller who is Captain of the Earth Space Defense. Independence Day: Resurgence presumably would've earned much more at the box office with Smith in the lead role, and "the ultimate sacrifice" subplot could've been tweaked for a more viscerally impactful final act. Given that Independence Day is such a definitive '90s classic, though, it makes sense that Smith decided to leave it in the past in favor of a new challenge.