Michael Bay Might Have Introduced the World to ‘Bad Boys,’ but There’s a Good Reason He Didn’t Continue With the Franchise

When Bad Boys for Life hit cinemas in January 2020, fans had waited 18 years to see Will Smith and Martin Lawrence reteam as the kick-ass pair of detectives matching wits against drug dealers on the streets of Miami. Their return to the popular franchise brought a sense of growth and maturity far from the mindless MTV-style entertainment brought by Michael Bay in the first two installments. Despite the massive success of 1995’s Bad Boys and its 2003 sequel Bad Boys II, fans were puzzled over why Bay did not return for the threequel.