Summary

• An original star returns in Bad Boys 4 due to the revisitation of old cases, avoiding the introduction of new characters to maintain audience interest.
• John Salley's character Fletcher makes a comeback in Bad Boys: Ride or Die after previously appearing in the franchise.
• Salley's return is intriguing given his NBA background and previous role in the L.A.'s Finest spinoff, making him one of the few original stars returning alongside Smith and Lawrence.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die's cast, which also features a mix of new and returning stars in ing roles.

During an exclusive interview with Screen Rant, Bremner enthusiastically teased the return of an original star who was absent in Bad Boys for Life. The co-writer explains that since the fourth film revisits an old case involving Captain Howard, it made perfect sense to bring back previous characters rather than creating new ones, including John Salley as Fletcher. Read Bremner's full comments below:

We always liked doing cameos. When the idea came out that it was an old case and Captain Howard was putting it together, it was suddenly like, "Well, of course, you're going to go back to all these people, because why not?" Why invent new characters? It’s too many people for audiences to care about. Let’s go back to the greatest hits. There were a couple we couldn't get or didn't get, which I wish we could have had. But it was amazing to get John Salley—it was amazing to get some of these old greats.

Fletcher's Bad Boys 4 Return Explained

& Why He Was Absent In Bad Boys 3

Salley starred in the first two Bad Boys movies as Fletcher, the thick glasses-wearing computer hacker. In the first film, Mike and Marcus pull Fletcher out of prison to hack into the police database profile of former crooked cop Eddie Dominguez. In the second film, which is set eight years later, Fletcher is working for the Miami Police Department as a technician, and Mike and Marcus bring him shredded paper from a suspect's house, which he uses a computer program to reconstruct.

In 2019, Salley reprised his role as Fletcher in L.A.'s Finest, a spinoff of the Bad Boys franchise centered on Marcus' sister, Sydney (Gabrielle Union), an ex-DEA agent who transfers to the LAPD's Robbery-Homicide Division. Since the spinoff series is set in Los Angeles, Fletcher isn't with the Miami PD during the events of Bad Boys for Life. However, since the spinoff series was canceled after two seasons, Fletcher is now seemingly able to return to Miami for the events of Bad Boys: Ride or Die.

Fletcher's return in Ride or Die is intriguing for some, since Salley's popularity extends beyond the Bad Boys franchise. Before becoming an actor, Salley was an NBA player who won four championships with the Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, and Los Angeles Lakers. He's one of only a few original stars returning in Bad Boys: Ride or Die alongside Smith, Lawrence, and Joe Pantoliano.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die releases in theaters on June 7.