Will Will Smith be in Independence Day 2? The answer to that question is reportedly negative.
Will Smith has reportedly told Fox that he will not reprise his role in the upcoming Independence Day sequel, according to Deadline. While Smith’s involvement (or lack thereof) has not been officially confirmed, the ever reputable Deadline has it from reliable sources that Smith will not join Independence Day 2.
Fox has not yet commented on whether Smith refused on the grounds of his son Jaden not being cast in the film with him.
Even though it sounds like Smith won’t be involved, Independence Day 2 still could happen. Fox currently hopes to have it made and ready for the July 4, 2016 weekend.
Smith has only starred in two films since 2008 (Men in Black 3 and After Earth), so it’s been long known that he was never going to be a guarantee to join the film. Because of this, the plans for the film have never hinged on him deciding to do the film.
For as long as the movie has been planned, there have been two separate scripts. One of the scripts centered around Smith’s character, Captain Steven Hiller. The other, obviously, will feature a battle with aliens that does not include the cocky fighter pilot. The scripts were initially written by director Roland Emmerich and co-writer and producer Dean Devlin. The duo wrote the first film, but they’ve handed over writing duties to The Amazing Spider-Man writer James Vanderbilt, who has continued to develop both versions of the script.