Despite a lucrative history and the current box office accomplishments of Bad Boys: Ride or Die, the Bad Boys franchise is still a long way off from surpassing Will Smith’s highest-grossing franchise record. Smith and Martin Lawrence reprised their roles as Miami Police Department detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett in Bad Boys: Ride or Die’s cast of characters to face their most complicated case yet. Former captain Conrad Howard is posthumously framed and accused of having worked with the cartels, forcing Mike and Marcus on the run to clear his name.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die proves that Mike and Marcus’ high-octane buddy cop adventures are still hugely in demand, as demonstrated by Ride or Die’s audience approval rating of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and $297 million killing at the box office. Ride or Die’s performance is of little surprise when looking back on the franchise’s history of widely beloved and high-earning installments. What is astonishing, however, is how far off the flourishing Bad Boys franchise is from Smith’s highest-grossing franchise – it’s so far, in fact, that not even a fifth Bad Boys installment could help the franchise break Smith’s record.

Bad Boys 5 Will Struggle To Beat Men In Black As Will Smith’s Highest-Grossing Franchise

Bad Boys: Ride Or Die Took The Franchise Past The $1bn Barrier

With Ride or Die, the Bad Boys franchise has surpassed a major milestone at the worldwide box office. Although Ride or Die is still in theaters and in the position to make even more gains, the latest installment has already pushed the Bad Boys franchise past the $1 billion box office barrier. The feat is a big win, but it’s nothing in comparison to Smith’s Men in Black franchise, which, per The Numbers, boasts about $1.6 billion made worldwide (excluding the Sony-released Spider-Man/Men in Black II double feature and the 2019 standalone sequel Men in Black: International).

At $1.1 billion and counting, Bad Boys still needs to earn around $500 million to catch up with Smith’s Men in Black franchise. In time, Bad Boys could become Smith’s highest-grossing franchise, but it certainly won’t occur with Ride or Die, which will soon enter its fourth week in theaters and likely plateau just above $300 million earned. A potential Bad Boys 5 would have a better chance at breaking Men in Black’s record, but it’ll certainly struggle to do so, as no previous Bad Boys installments have ever reached anywhere close to $500 million at the box office.

Will Bad Boys 5 Happen? Why It Seems So Likely Now

Will Smith & Martin Lawrence Have Spoken Positively About Another Sequel

Arguably, now more than ever, the Bad Boys franchise has recognized its growing potential. Sure, the franchise’s third film is its most lucrative installment to date, but much of Bad Boys for Life’s appeal was driven by the fact that it’d been 17 years since Mike and Marcus hit big screens in Bad Boys II, and fans were primed to see them back in action. Ride or Die did not have this advantage and still made substantial box office strides, demonstrating that there’s more than a nostalgic demand for the franchise but an interest in seeing it expand.

Because of this, Bad Boys 5 seems all the more likely. Additionally, Smith and Lawrence voiced interest in Bad Boys 5 on the condition that the franchise continues to prioritize its fanbase. Their revelation is great news, not only for the release of Bad Boys 5 but for the likelihood that it will be a thoughtful addition to the IP and more than just a cash grab. Bad Boys 5 has, otherwise, yet to be confirmed, but from the looks of the franchise’s momentum, at least one or two sequel movies may get a shot at overtaking Men in Black.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes, The Numbers