Will Smith is returning to a genre that he hasn’t done well in for almost 30 years with the release of the upcoming film Resistor, and it has me really worried. Will Smith is one of the most popular actors working today, and while he has been in a lot of great movies, he has also been in a lot of disappointing ones. Many of these disappointing Will Smith films share the same genre, being part of a disappointing trend. Resistor is an interesting film, as it has the chance to redeem Will Smith or double down on this streak.

After the success of Bad Boys: Ride or Die, Will Smith’s next movie has been announced as Resistor, with the star now signed on to lead Sony’s new sci-fi movie. Resistor will be based on the 2014 sci-fi book Influx by author Daniel Suarez, with it following a scientist who discovers a gravity-reflecting device and is subsequently hunted down by a government organization that attempts to suppress technological advancement. News of the film’s announcement has me cautiously optimistic, as I don’t want to get burned by a Will Smith sci-fi movie once again.

Will Smith Has Been On A Disappointing Sci-Fi Streak Since Men In Black

They Range From Disappointing To Bad

Men in Black was a huge success and is one of my favorite Will Smith movies, with it and Independence Day from the year prior setting the actor up as a major sci-fi star. However, Will Smith has been on a hugely disappointing sci-fi streak since the release of Men in Black, with pretty much every sci-fi film to feature the actor falling short of expectations. The Men in Black sequels that involved Smith were both disappointing, and while I Am Legen and I, Robot have their fans, reception for these films has always been mixed.

Some of Will Smith’s other sci-fi films, however, haven’t fared nearly as well. Movies like Gemini Man and After Earth are downright bad, with Will Smith’s involvement in these original sci-fi concepts being absolute failures. Smith hasn’t even gotten close to recreating the magic of Men in Black in nearly 30 years of making sci-fi movies, and it is hard to pinpoint why these movies keep failing. It’s been decades since a Will Smith sci-fi film that I enjoy has been released, but hopefully, the actor’s next film will be able to change that.

Will Smith’s Resistor Is Even More Concerning After I Am Legend & I, Robot

Smith’s Sci-Fi Movies Based On Books Have A Bad Reputation

Although Resistor could be good, I am still concerned about the film, as it shares one quality that contributed to the failure of I Am Legend and I, Robot. Resistor is based on a book, and while the book performed well critically, that doesn’t always translate to the critical success of films. It is entirely possible that Resistor could do a poor job of adapting Influx, with it having the potential to seem like a lazy way to get a Will Smith-starring sci-fi movie out rather than an adaptation made by people who have a passion for Suarez’s book.

Much like Resistor, both I, Robot and I Am Legend are based on books, with them not being original concepts. However, fans of the books that both of these projects are based on consider their film counterparts to be a bit disappointing, with them being significant downgrades from their source material. There is a scary possibility that Resistor could follow this sci-fi trend and be a poor adaptation of Influx, and based on the actor’s track record, I wouldn’t be surprised if this happens.

Can Resistor Break Will Smith’s Poor Sci-Fi Streak?

Barely Any Details Are Known

Although Will Smith’s sci-fi streak has been going on for nearly three decades, it is entirely possible that Resistor could break it. The film isn’t out yet, and very few details are known about it, meaning that it could turn out that Resistor is a huge critical and commercial success. The film is being written by Bullet Train‘s Zak Olkewicz and Top Gun: Maverick‘s Eric Singer, and while these aren’t sci-fi films, it proves that Resistor will have quality talent behind it.

Influx has received overall positive reviews, meaning that the upcoming Will Smith movie has a strong story to work off of. However, that was the case with I Am Legend and I, Robot as well. While Resistor has the building blocks needed to break Will Smith’s sci-fi streak, it is simply too early to say.