Bad Boys: Ride or Die did more than progress the lives of its Miami detective heroes Mike Lowery and Marcus Burnett (Will Smith and Martin Lawrence). The fourth installment of the popular buddy cop franchise added depth to many returning characters from the previous installment, most notably Mike’s biological son Armando and Marcus’ son-in-law Reggie. Additionally, its premise allowed for the late Capt. Howard (Joe Pantoliano) to play a significant role from beyond the grave.
Of all the callbacks to previous Bad Boys installments, however, a revelation about Capt. Howard’s secret past reveals the shocking whereabouts of some important legacy characters: The dark fate of Mike and Marcus’ detective colleagues Sanchez and Ruiz (Nestor Serrano and Julio Oscar Mechoso). These characters who played a significant role in the original 1995 installment were notably absent from the subsequent sequels without explanation. The details of where they have been since Bad Boys were not only a surprise but also prove that other absent legacy characters may not be so safe.
Detective Sanchez and Ruiz's Roles In 'Bad Boys'
Image via Sony Like many of the buddy cop movies before it, Sanchez and Ruiz were the seasoned but friendly rival detectives to Mike and Marcus. They spend much of Bad Boys busting Mike and Marcus’ chops on the job, constantly trying to one-up each other with insults. Their most notable scene had the partners arguing over Lucille Ball and Dezi Arnaz’s relationship and who was the better of the two. Ultimately, the four detectives put their differences aside to work together in saving murder witness Julie (Téa Leoni) from French drug lord Fouchet (Tchéky Karyo) during the climatic shootout at Opa Locka Executive Airport.
Following the events of Bad Boys, Sanchez and Ruiz quietly disappeared without a trace. While it is unknown if actors Serrano and Mechoso were offered to return for Bad Boys II, their roles were swapped with two younger Hispanic detectives, Vargas and Reyes (Jason Manuel Olazabal and Yul Vazquez). Vargas in particular bears a similar resemblance to Ruiz due to their respective receding hairlines. As Vargas and Reyes work with Mike and Marcus on the Tactical Narcotics Team (TNT), they are more collaborative with the main heroes without the antagonistic bantering as they investigate the ecstasy dealings of Johnny Tapia (Jordi Molla).
The Dark Fate Of Sanchez And Ruiz
Between the 2nd and 3rd installations, Mechoso tragically passed away from a heart attack in 2017, making Ruiz’s return to the franchise impossible. Ironically, after two installments being absent, Sanchez and Ruiz’s fates were revealed in Ride or Die through a secret video made by Capt. Howard before his fatal assassination in Bad Boys for Life. While revealing details about his secret investigation into a drug cartel affiliated with members of law enforcement, Howard explains that he kept Mike and Marcus off the case because he pulled Sanchez and Ruiz out of retirement to work it instead. Somehow, their cover was blown, resulting in their untimely deaths in a cartel car bombing.
This revelation raises the stakes for Mike and Marcus, who are no longer the young bucks that they were in 1995 when they worked with the more seasoned detectives. Both Bad Boys for Life and Bad Boys: Ride or Die examine how the partners deal with aging and mortality while on the job. Learning of their elder colleagues’ surprise murders off-screen only heightens the stakes as Marcus nearly succumbs to a heart attack and Mike’s new wife Christine (Melanie Liburd) gets kidnapped by the villains.
Legacy Characters Are Never Safe In The Bad Boys Franchise
The off-screen deaths of Sanchez and Ruiz also represent how the recent Bad Boys installments have been as bold in killing legacy characters as the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Aside from Capt. Howard’s death in the third installment, Ride or Die sees the shocking scene of fan-favorite computer hacker Fletcher (John Salley) getting shot in the head by the villains while giving Capt. Howard’s video files to Mike and Marcus. Such shocking moments add to the possibility that other missing allies in Mike and Marcus’ orbit may be safe, whether it’s Marcus’ sister Syd (Gabrielle Union) from Bad Boys II or AMMO team member Rafe (Charles Melton) who was notably absent from Ride or Die.
Though Sanchez and Ruiz were just minor one-dimensional characters in the first film, they laid the groundwork for every Bad Boys movie to feature a final act climax where Mike and Marcus need serious backup against the villains as well as to add the type of bantering the audience has seen with the duo and the young members of the AMMO team. Their inclusion in the sequels could have provided more opportunity to expand on their character development, as the franchise did for Capt. Howard. But having the reference to their tragic fates was a positive reminder that their presence in the original film would not be forgotten.
Release Date June 7, 2024
Director Adil El Arbi , Bilall Fallah
Runtime 115 Minutes
Bad Boys: Ride or Die is currently streaming on Netflix in the U.S.
English (US) ·