Martin Lawrence Confident That Will Smith’s Oscar Slap Won’t Derail ‘Bad Boys 4’: “We Got One More At Least”

Thanks to slapping Chris Rock across the face at the 94th Academy Awards earlier this year, Will Smith is persona non grata in Hollywood. He’ll stay that way for some time, too, as it remains unclear how far the consequences of Smith’s actions will reverberate. So, is Smith’s acting career over? That remains to be seen, but it’s unlikely, and his “Bad Boys” co-star Martin Lawrence doesn’t think Smith’s current status will affect the future of that franchise either.

READ MORE: Will Smith’s ‘Emancipation’ Pushed From 2022 To 2023 By Apple

In an interview with Ebony, Lawrence dismissed the idea that the recently-announced “Bad Boys For Life” won’t get the production green light thanks to Smith’s actions at this year’s Oscars. In fact, he’s confident that the movie will go ahead as expected. “We got one more at least,” Lawrence said. It’s not exactly a bold claim on Lawrence’s part. The “Bad Boys” series since the 1995 film has made $840 million at the global box office, with 2020’s “Bad Boys For Life” being a big crowdpleaser despite coming out 17 years after “Bad Boys II.” And given that financial success, not bad behavior, is Hollywood’s barometer for surveying a franchise’s future, “Bad Boys 4” is probably secure.

Thanks to Michael Bay‘s original “Bad Boys,” released in 1995, Smith and Lawrence went from sitcom stars to Hollywood A-listers. At the time of the film’s release, Smith was known for “The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air,” while Lawrence was known for “Martin.” After “Bad Boys” made $141 million worldwide, though, both actors’ careers were changed forever. “It was big,” Lawrence continued, “For us to come together and prove that we can deliver, and we can pull people into the box office — that two Black stars, two sitcom stars, could make money at the box office [was huge].” And it was a big deal for Lawrence personally, too. “I didn’t go to college, so I felt TV was my college years,” he said, “I felt with movies, I had graduated; it was just different.”

But thanks to his behavior earlier this year, Smith is now expelled from Hollywood, at least for a while. There have been reports that a bunch of once-upcoming Smith projects are on hold thanks to the controversy the actor caused, including the new “Bad Boys” film. So, how long will Smith’s punishment go on, and is it permanent? Lawrence remains upbeat about another “Bad Boys,” but it’s impossible to say what the future holds for both the franchise and Smith.

Lawrence just had a 30th-anniversary reunion special for “Martin” on BET+ last month. He’s also part of the cast for the upcoming thriller “Mindcage,” with Melissa Roxburgh and John Malkovich.