Bad Boys: Ride Or Die – Where Did Armando Go?
Bad Boys: Ride or Die – Armando's Escape and Uncertain Future
Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024) gave us another dose of buddy-cop awesomeness, bringing back Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as the iconic Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett. But this isn't just about those veteran cops! This one also brings back Jacob Scipio as Armando, Mike's secret son! And his story arc in this most recent sequel really deserves a deeper look. That whole storyline of Armando is exceptionally compelling and this most recent addition really gave him more to do. While we're treated with plenty of amazing action and some humorous moments within this entire storyline, the overall experience ends ambiguously, raising questions concerning what exactly happens.
The Bad Boys franchise returned with another massive success, grossing over $400 million worldwide (per Box Office Mojo) and delivering those generally positive reviews, making another critically lauded and box office successful hit – a rare feat these days. Let’s examine what transpires and those questions it poses! The Ride or Die ending gave Armando some much-needed redemption– creating the hooks for continued story development and more surprises that could emerge as it moves into yet another phase. The plot however also raises many significant questions for audiences interested in this character specifically!
Armando's Escape: Heading South to an Uncertain Future
Throughout Ride or Die, Judy Howard (Rhea Seehorn), seeking revenge, pursues Mike, Marcus, and Armando. This hunt doesn’t necessarily remain a pursuit, the narrative becomes more intense in its depiction. But Judy shows mercy, sparing Armando for saving her daughter Callie (Quinn Hemphill). This amazing turning point adds complexity that's not readily apparent and was otherwise unseen earlier. And instead of continuing this revenge pursuit; Judy even lets him escape, leading to Mike helping Armando flee, dropping that now iconic line: "Head south."
That makes Cuba the most likely destination—a familiar location to Bad Boys fans. Considering Armando's skills, disappearing remains easy. He's redeemed (somewhat)— making peace with Mike and saving Callie; he makes serious efforts that completely change his life's direction. He pays the price; the efforts to do good almost ended in him dying but also made these kinds of redemption scenes far more emotionally potent.
Armando Remains a Fugitive: Setting Up Future Storylines
That news report during the end? This is key for future installments and gives more importance to Armando’s status: The cops are still hunting him—a reminder that he's still a cop killer (regardless of all that). Similar situations have played out in other blockbuster movie franchises, with Jason Statham's Hobbs in Fast & Furious being a perfect parallel! Will Armando join the Bad Boys family later? Or does his future remain unpredictable?
Bad Boys 5: What’s Next for Armando?
The continued success from the two most recent sequels coupled with the obvious on-screen chemistry between Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, makes another movie really quite possible! And they obviously need to continue Armando’s storyline. Where does he go from there? That will be another epic plot point for viewers eagerly awaiting more details! Going to Cuba? That's just begging for the return of a classic location; the exciting explosive ending found in Bad Boys II. Other possibilities remain: Some want an Armando/Reggie spin-off (that’s Marcus’ son-in-law), and they’re already quite well-loved.
Conclusion: A Redemption Story in Need of a Proper Resolution
Armando's redemption arc is really well-done, showing a complicated individual who went down that bad path—but didn't remain there. While some plot moments seem unsatisfactory and some key details require further explanation; even requiring another entire entry in order to become satisfactorily concluded; the possibility and the obvious implications surrounding a sequel with Armando’s further involvement makes another chapter very necessary! That unexpected turn in events would require even more significant narrative choices. This raises expectations regarding that possible return and this unexpected antihero deserves to have a truly satisfying storyline; this could very well make another sequel both very easy to understand; but require serious rethinking and intelligent storytelling. That continued storytelling around a formerly morally ambiguous and violent individual is really compelling – leaving Bad Boys fans already speculating and eagerly anticipating Ride or Die’s impact for whatever storylines follow!
