Bad Boys: Ride or Die is the fourth entry in the series, and features a number of easter eggs and references to previous films in the franchise. Starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as a pair of Miami PD detectives who frequently find themselves dealing with veritable armies of criminals and killers, the series has throw a number of allies and enemies their way over the years. This has led to a surprisingly deep bench of minor characters, several of whom are referenced or even briefly appear as members of the Bad Boys: Ride or Die cast.

On top of incorporating other popular musicians, self-help coaches, and social media stars into the film, many of these easter eggs speak to the legacy of the series. There are new takes on old cameos, ret-cons that create an overarching connective tissue between the previous four movies, and even some tragic revelations about long-missing characters. Here are all the best returning actors and easter eggs hidden in Bad Boys: Ride or Die.

13

Jay Shetty Officiates Mike’s Wedding

Shetty Is A Good Friend Of Will Smith’s

The first of Bad Boys: Ride or Die‘s many easter eggs comes early in the film, with Jay Shetty serving as the officiant to Mike’s wedding. Formerly a video producer for the Huffington Post who broke out on his own, Shetty is a popular writer and the creator of the health podcast, On Purpose. Shetty’s success has led him to make connections across the world of celebrities and politicians, including becoming a close confidant to Will Smith.

This connection between Shetty and Smith is likely how Shetty’s appearance in the latest Bad Boys film came to be. It’s notably not the only A-lister wedding Sheey has been a part of. Shetty took part in the real-life 2022 wedding between Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, which may have helped inspire the nature of Shetty’s cameo.

12

Marcus References Gabrielle Union’s Syd

It’s A Callback To Bad Boys II

Marcus serves as the best man at Mike’s wedding to Melanie Liburd’s Christine, and ends up giving a wedding toast that references multiple characters from the previous films. This includes a mention of Marcus’ sister, Syd, and how Marcus has gotten over the two of them being together briefly. Marcus’ sister Syd was played by Gabrielle Union in Bad Boys II.

An undercover agent with the DEA who finds herself the target of several criminal groups, Syd also complicates the central dynamic between Mike and Marcus by secretly dating the former. The absence of an old friend like Gabrielle Union’s Syd in Bad Boys: Ride or Die does feel like a missed opportunity, but may have distracted from the film’s central plot.

11

Marcus Also References Karen Alexander’s Max Logan

Another Callback To An Earlier Entry

Marcus’ wedding speech doesn’t just reference Syd, however. Marcus also refers to a “prosтιтute,” which Mike tries to brush aside. This is a reference to the plot of the first Bad Boys, which was largely set in motion when Karen Alexander’s Max Logan went undercover for Mike. Established as close to Mike, Max agreed to help their investigation of a corrupt former cop.

Working as an escort, Max and Téa Leoni’s Julie Mott end up stumbling into the middle of crime-boss Fouchet having the former cop killed. Max is also slain in the ensuing chaos, giving Mike extra motivation to seek revenge and bring Fouchet down by the end of the film. This little reference becomes less funny with the full context in mind, as any lingering guilt over Max’s death is replayed when Christine is kidnapped in the third act of Bad Boys: Ride or Die.

10

Old Bad Boys Footage Is Part Of Marcus’ Vision

The Actual Earlier Movies Made This Accurate

One of the big dramatic beats early in Bad Boys: Ride or Die is Marcus’ near-death experience at Mike’s wedding. Suffering a heart attack on the dance floor, Marcus finds himself watching his friends and family gather around his unconscious body from an ethereal plane of water. As he’s drawn through this place, Marcus’ life appears to flash before his eyes.

Many of the moments that appear to him are taken directly from the earlier films in the series. It serves as a solid shorthand for the experiences that Marcus remembers alongside Mike but highlights all the near death experiences he escaped over the years. This ends up reinforcing Marcus’ new dangerously optimistic worldview in the rest of the film, allowing the montage of previous movies to actually impact the characters.

9

Michael Bay Almost Runs Over The Bad Boys

The Original Director Returns

After his heart attack, Marcus explains to Mike that his near-death experience has convinced him he has a predestined fate — which means in the short term, he’s functionally immortal. Nothing is going to kill him, and Marcus proves it by running into traffic and being avoided by every car. One of the cars that almost slams into the two is driven by Michael Bay.

Michael Bay directed Bad Boys and Bad Boys II, and is one of Hollywood’s most successful modern action directors. While Bay didn’t direct Bad Boys For Life or Bad Boys: Ride or Die, he still serves as an executive producer on the films and had a cameo in both. Michael Bay’s cameo is also similar to the one that he had in Bad Boys II, which also saw him driving a car through Miami until he encountered Mike and Marcus.

8

Michael Bay’s Porsche Is From The First Bad Boys

It Continued A Trend Of Porches In The Franchise

In his Bad Boys II cameo, part of the gag stems from the fact that Michael Bay’s car is an unlikely and relatively ugly-looking ride. Mike even mocks Marcus for failing to find a better car. In contrast, Bay’s cameo character in Bad Boys: Ride or Die is now driving a striking black Porsche. It’s a funny continuation of the gag from the previous film, but it’s also a sly reference to a major recurring element of the Bad Boys franchise.

Across four films, Bad Boys has featured a number of Porsches. Mike even animatedly defends his own in the first Bad Boys. However, the Porsche that Bay drives in Bad Boys: Ride or Die isn’t the exact same limited model as the one Mike owned previously. It’s still a solid reference to one of the most memorable beats from the first film in the series.

7

Khaby Lame Brings A Tik Tok Meme To Bad Boys

A Huge Tik Tok Star Appears

Michael Bay isn’t the only cameo during Marcus’ unexpected walk through traffic. After Marcus successfully crosses the street and leaves a confused Mike barely dodging cars himself, Mike finds himself standing next to a man who gives a very animated shrug to him. Senegalese-Italian Tik Tok star, Khaby Lame. His distinct shrug and side-eye at “life hack” videos eventually developed into a mᴀssive success that saw Lame become one of TikTok’s premier creators.

At 162 million followers at the time of writing, he had the single most followers on the app. It gives his surprised shrug at seeing Mike and Marcus additional meaning to younger viewers, especially because he may even be appearing as himself. This highlights how clips of Mike and Marcus’ antics and action across Miami would likely become social media fodder in the modern day.

6

Fletcher Is Back To Help The Bad Boys One More Time

A Fun Character Returns

Another character to make a return to Bad Boys is Fletcher, a former convict and informant for Mike and Marcus. Fletcher appeared previously in Bad Boys and Bad Boys II, a former criminal hacker who worked with the pair and Captain Howard in their investigations. Played by former NBA star John Salley, Fletcher didn’t appear in Bad Boys For Life but returns for Bad Boys: Ride or Die.

It seems like Fletcher has done well for himself in the ensuing years, having opened an art gallery. He’s also remained in contact with Howard, serving a key role in Marcus and Mike’s efforts to prove their fallen captain’s innocence. Tragically, Fletcher won’t be able to return for any prospective Bad Boys 5, as he’s ultimately killed by James McGrath’s agents during their attempt to cover their tracks and eliminate Mike and Marcus.

5

DJ Khaled’s Manny The Butcher Returns

Another Callback Appearance

Musician DJ Khaled appeared in Bad Boys For Life as Manny the Butcher, a criminal informant who gave information to Mike and swore that he’d given up his life of crime. However, the mᴀssive bounty that McGrath puts on Mike and Marcus proves enough to send Manny after the pair alongside his fellow crooks. Notably, Manny has one of the more brutal deaths in the film.

While Adam Lockwood’s death by alligator is terrifying, Manny ends up having almost as rough a go of it, as his attempt to shoot Mike and Marcus gets him crushed between two cars. Then, while Mike, Marcus, and Armando make their escape, other gangs take to throwing molotov cocktails. These miss Mike and Marcus, but do catch Manny and set him on fire. It’s a wild, over-the-top beat, but a perfectly comical cameo from Khaled.

4

Joyner Lucas Appears As A Small-Time Crook

A Second Musician Appears

DJ Khaled isn’t the only musician who throws themselves into the hunt for Mike and Marcus. Joyner Lucas is also one of the criminals who appears on the hunt for Mike and Marcus, appearing briefly during Mike and Marcus’ attempt to escape the mᴀssive chaos surrounding them. He at least doesn’t seem to suffer the same fate as Manny, meaning he could potentially return in a future film in the series.

This isn’t the first time Smith and Lucas have worked together. Lucas has notably collaborated on music with Will Smith, with the pair appearing alongside together on the “Will (Remix)” track and music video. Similar to Jay Shetty appearing in the film, Lucas’ connection to Will Smith likely explains how he got the chance to appear in Bad Boys: Ride or Die, highlighting their connection.

3

Marcus Keeps Calling Isabel Aretas A Witch

It’s A Reminder Of Mike & Armando’s Relationship

Although she perished at the end of the Bad Boys For Life, Kate del Castillo’s Isabel Aretas still looms over Bad Boys: Ride or Die. Mike’s ex while he was undercover and subsequently the mother of their son Armando, Isabel presented a uniquely personal enemy for the pair to overcome in the previous film. Repeatedly in that movie, Marcus referred to her as a witch, something he carries over into Bad Boys: Ride or Die.

Whenever Isabel comes up, Marcus immediately describes her as a witch. However, given that he’s usually with Armando when this happens, he just as often has to downplay it or offer his condolences over her death. It’s a good running gag and a solid reminder of the lingering drama between Mike and Armando, which ends up being one of the film’s central emotional throughlines.

2

The Haitians From Bad Boys II Are Mentioned

The Film Pays Homage To Its Past

One of the big reveals of Bad Boys: Ride or Die is that the main villains of Bad Boys II and Bad Boys For Life played into the overarching plans of Eric Dane’s James McGrath. Isabel is revealed to have ordered Captain Howard’s death because of his investigation into McGrath’s conspiracy, tying her and Armando to the events of the new film. The conspiracy is revealed to even stretch back to the Haitian Zoe Pound who played an important role in Bad Boys II.

It turns out the entire plan came in the aftermath of 9/11, with corrupt pockets of the police and government working with cartels to bring drugs to Florida. The Hatians’ contribution is retconned to be what drew Howard’s attention to the conspiracy. This turned that group from Bad Boys II into some of the most important work Mike and Marcus have gotten done in four films.

1

Captain Howard References Ruiz & Sanchez

A Reference From The Original Film

The most tragic of the easter eggs in Bad Boys: Ride or Die reveals the fate of Detectives Ruiz and Sanchez. Played by Nestor Serrano and Julio Oscar Mechoso, respectively, Sanchez and Ruiz were colleagues of Marcus and Mike in Bad Boys who helped them contend with the crime boss Fouchet. It turns out that Ruiz and Sanchez’s absence from the rest of the series was the result of Howard’s investigation into McGrath’s conspiracy. Howard had initially put the two of them on the case.

However, according to the video Howard left for Mike and Marcus, the pair were subsequently killed in a “car accident” that he believes was a targeted hit. This is revealed to be why Howard didn’t initially bring Marcus or Mike into the case. It underscores the surprisingly effective emotional core of the Bad Boys franchise, and highlights how that personality plays a big part in what makes Bad Boys: Ride or Die work.

Do Other Bad Boys Movies Have Easter Eggs?

Bad Boys: Ride or Die certainly has the most easter eggs of the franchise as it feels almost like a celebration of the series up to this point. The other movies operated more as standalone action flicks that relied on the chemistry between Will Smith and Martin Lawrence rather than too many references to what came before. However, there are a number of in-jokes and running gags that appear in the fourth Bad Boys movie that were started in earlier films.

Michael Bay’s cameos in the previous movies have been a recurring element with Bad Boys For Life having him serve as the wedding MC in an early scene, allowing him to remain involved in the franchise despite no longer directing it. The first Bad Boys movie also featured the first cameo appearance by John Salley as Fletcher. One of the highlights of Bad Boys 4, Reggie protecting the home from ᴀssᴀssins, was set up with his first hilarious performance in Bad Boys II when he came to pick up Marcus’ daughter for a date.