Warning: Major spoilers for Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F below!

While Beverly Hills Cop 5 has yet to be confirmed, the latest sequel Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F certainly leaves the door open for it. Eddie Murphy’s dislike of the Beverly Hills Cop sequels – made him reluctant to sign on for a fourth Axel Foley adventure. That’s why the fourth outing spent decades in development, with various writers and directors trying to crack a story that would tempt Murphy back. Netflix’s Axel F gives the character a more emotional arc, as he has to reconnect with his estranged daughter Jane (Taylour Paige) during his latest case.

The cast for Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F is quite impressive too, featuring a mix of returning characters and newcomers like Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Kevin Bacon. A lot of nostalgia is ladled on top of Axel F, though it acknowledges the 30-year gap between installments. Murphy’s title character may still be a renegade, but he knows his time in the force is growing shorter. He also questions if his commitment to the job was worth the price he paid in his personal life.

Axel’s Reunion With Jane Sets Up Further Beverly Hills Cop Adventures

Axel F’s ending gives Foley an open invite to return

Part of the issue with the second and third entries was that they had to contrive reasons for Axel to return to Beverly Hills. This often took the form of a friend being shot or killed, but there are only so many times this plot point can be recycled. Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’s ending fixes that issue for future sequels, given that Axel reconciles with Jane in the final scene and has an open invitation to return to Beverly Hills to see her.

Given that the pair haven’t spoken in years, that means they have some lost time to catch up on. It also means Axel doesn’t have to wait around for a friend to die so he has no choice but to go to Beverly Hills. Not only does Beverly Hills Cop 4’s ending give Axel and Jane a nice catharsis, but her job as a criminal defense attorney means she can always call on him if she needs help with a case.

Beverly Hills Cop 5 Could Deal With Axel’s Retirement

Axel can’t “Shakedown” criminals in Detroit and Beverly Hills forever

Despite appearing ageless, Axel is in his 60s in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. Despite this, he’s still happy to be chasing down criminals and has no desire for a desk job. Regardless, Axel’s boss Jeffrey (Paul Reiser) tells him he can’t patrol the streets forever, and worries that his job is all he has. Jeffrey also retires in Axel F, partly because he wants a quiet life and partly as a sacrifice to spare Axel’s own job.

Murphy was drawn to Axel F because he felt there was an evolution for his character, who is no longer a 20-something wisecracker. The logical place for Beverly Hills Cop 5 to go would be exploring Axel’s retirement, and figuring out what his life is without the badge. Beverly Hills Ex-Cop has a nice ring to it if that’s the direction it goes. This outing could see him having retired/been fired and returning to Beverly Hills to decide on his next chapter; of course, he soon gets mixed up in another case.

A potential fifth film could also resurrect an unused concept for Beverly Hills Cop 3, where Axel travels overseas to London or Japan. This would refresh the saga’s fish-out-of-water premise by dropping him in a place where he’s totally out of his element. It would also just be something new for the series, considering Foley has already taken four trips to Beverly Hills.

Will Beverly Hills Cop 5 Actually Happen?

Eddie Murphy is ready for more Axel adventures

Now that Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F has landed on Netflix, the question now is will another entry happen? Eddie Murphy and producer Jerry Bruckheimer claim Beverly Hills Cop 5 is already being developed, though neither offered plot details. Axel F has received (broadly) positive reviews, and it’s hard to see it not performing well for the streamer. It’s the return of one of the biggest franchises of the 1980s, with an iconic leading man doing what he does best.

The odds of Beverly Hills Cop 5 happening feel strong, though Murphy himself could be the holdout. It took over two decades for him to approve a story for Axel F, and he’s stated in the past he will no longer make a film in exchange for a big payday. If he doesn’t like any of the concepts pitched, he could just decide to finish on a strong note with Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F and let the series rest.