Bad Boys 4 Is Breaking The Franchise’s 29-Year Casting Tradition With 1 Character’s Return

Bad Boys: Ride or Die has ruptured a nearly three-decade Bad Boys tradition by recasting one of its longtime characters. Just as old as its staunch tradition is the franchise, which has been rendering the exploits of Miami detectives Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) and Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) for a combined 29 years in three incredibly lucrative movies, soon to include the upcoming fourth installment Bad Boys: Ride or Die. Marcus and Mike, loyal to one another and their loved ones since the franchise’s start, are set to embark on another wild adventure – this time to clear their captain’s name.

Per Bad Boys 4’s trailer, Conrad Howard (Joe Pantoliano), who was captain since the first franchise movie but died at the end of Bad Boys for Life, is framed posthumously and accused of having worked with the cartels. Ever the devoted duo, Marcus and Mike rally to vindicate him; likewise, always the devoted franchise, Bad Boys brings back Pantoliano to reprise Captain Howard for retrospective scenes in Bad Boys 4. Bad Boys’ loyalty to and among their cast of characters has become a franchise trademark, which is why the recent recasting of one veteran character comes as a complete surprise.

Bad Boys 4 Recast Marcus Burnett’s Wife Instead Of Theresa Randle Returning

Marcus Burnett’s Wife Will Be Played By Tasha Smith

Shockingly, the Bad Boys 4 cast does not include actress Theresa Randle. Recognizable for her roles in movies such as Spawn, Space Jam, Malcolm X, and Beverly Hills Cop III, Randle most notably played the part of Marcus’ wife, Theresa Burnett, throughout the entire span of the Bad Boys franchise. Reports have confirmed that actress Tasha Smith of Why Did I Get Married?, Couples Retreat, and Tyler Perry’s For Better or Worse series will take on the role of Marcus’ wife but have not indicated why Bad Boys 4 replaced its original cast member.

Smith’s supporting role as Theresa is unlikely to have any substantial impact on Bad Boys 4’s story, though the change in actresses is still a bit of a downfall for the movie. Smith most certainly has the acting chops for the part, but seeing as Randle has been the face of Marcus’ wife for so long, the character change-up will undoubtedly be distracting. What feels worse about the distinct change in cast members is that the Bad Boys franchise has never recast a major character, thus making Smith stick out like a sore thumb among all the original actors.

Bad Boys’ History Makes Theresa Randle’s Recasting Very Surprising

Bad Boys Always Brings Back Its Original Actors

Due to the franchise’s impeccable casting history, it’s surprising that Bad Boys 4 couldn’t get Randle back to play Theresa. Bad Boys has not only been able to hold onto Will Smith and Martin Lawrence for nearly three decades, but has brought back original actors like Bianca Bethune and Dennis Greene, who have played Marcus’ daughter and son-in-law, respectively, since Bad Boys II. It’s obvious the great lengths the franchise will go to for their cast and characters, shown well beyond a doubt with Bad Boys 4 creatively reviving Pantoliano’s Captain Conrad, so it’s jarring to hear of Randle’s absence.

The recasting decision may not be through any fault of the franchise’s own, though. Randle has had a starkly noticeable decline in acting that started well before she reprised her role as Theresa in Bad Boys for Life. Before 2020’s Bad Boys for Life, Randle hadn’t performed in anything since 2010, which means Bad Boys: Ride or Die breaking their tradition of recasting original actors may have been well out of the franchise’s hands.