Bad Boys 4’s Trailer Makes Sense Of Bad Boys 3’s Post-Credits Scene 4 Years Later

The first Bad Boys: Ride or Die trailer finally made sense of Bad Boys for Life‘s post-credits scene several years later. The fourth installment of the franchise comes four years after Bad Boys 3 ended a nearly two-decade-long drought for the series. The movie became a major success at the box office, so much so that Sony began formulating plans for another sequel. Bad Boys 4 brings Will Smith and Martin Lawrence back for another adventure as Mike and Marcus, which was set up during Bad Boys 3‘s post-credits scene.

When the Bad Boys franchise returned in 2020, audiences were treated to a mid-credits scene that indicated there was more to Mike and Marcus’ story still to come. The scene showed Mike visiting Armando, who was revealed to be his son, in prison. Mike mentions that there is a chance for Armando to repay some of his debt differently than serving time after Bad Boys 3‘s ending, indicating that they would work together on some cases. At the time, it was unclear exactly what type of case would bring Mike to recruit his son for Bad Boys 4.

Bad Boys 4’s Trailer Explains Why Mike Recruited His Son In Bad Boys 3’s Post-Credits

Armando Works With Mike And Marcus On A New Case

The Bad Boys 4 trailer now provides some evidence of what causes Mike and Armando to work together. The footage reveals that the main plot of the sequel revolves around Captain Howard being framed for having worked with the cartel in secret for years. This leads Mike and Marcus on a quest to clear their former Captain’s name. Part of the plot appears to involve them going on the run, possibly as they are also framed for similar experiences.

Jacob Scipio’s Armando is shown in the Bad Boys 4 trailer working with Mike and Marcus, both while he is still incarcerated and at one point while all three might be on the run. It seems that the Bad Boys 3 post-credits scene was setting up Mike recruiting his son so Armando could help them clear Captain Howard’s name. After all, Armando was a high-ranking member of the Aretas cartel. With his mother dead and out of the picture, he could be one of the only people who could corroborate the truth that Howard had no relation to the cartel.

Bad Boys 4 Means Bad Boys 3’s Post-Credits Scene Won’t Be Forgotten

The Franchise Is Delivering On Its Promises

With Bad Boys 4 building on the idea that Mike and his son work together now, there is a guarantee that the franchise is not going to forget about the events of Bad Boys for Life‘s post-credits scene. The decision to include the scene was an early indication that the franchise creatives had ideas about where the story could go next. However, that is never a guarantee that the sequels will definitely follow those seeds. There are plenty of examples in Hollywood of sequels ignoring or heavily retconning the events of credits scenes from prior installments.

Thankfully, Bad Boys 4‘s trailer makes it look like directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah are following through on their intended direction for the franchise. This will ensure that Bad Boys 3‘s credits scene will not seem out of place as the franchise continues to evolve. It’s also a promising sign that a larger plan is in place and will be delivered on if Bad Boys: Ride or Die has a post-credits scene too.