Independence Day 2 ‘Missed Out’ by Not Bringing Will Smith Back, Star Says

Independence Day: Resurgence star Vivica A. Fox says the film needed Will Smith.

During an interview with the A.V. Club, Fox explained why the 2016 sci-fi sequel needed the original Independence Day star in order to succeed.

“I really feel we missed out by not bringing Will Smith back,” she said. “We had most of the original cast, but I think the one true link that was missing to the success of Independence Day 2 was that Will Smith wasn’t there.”

Independence Day 2 saw the return of Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, and Brent Spiner among a whole host of new cast members including Liam Hemsworth, Maika Monroe, and Jessie T. Usher.

“I’m going to keep it real — I was at the premiere and I was like ‘Mmm, let’s see how the fans are going to feel about this’,” said Fox. “And sure enough on Twitter, they blew me up.”

Following Independence Day 2’s release, Smith said he passed on the project in favor of Suicide Squad as he wanted to try new things. “I had to choose between the two of those,” he said. Smith explained he was “trying to go forward versus clinging and clawing backward”, adding he strives to “aggressively go forward and do new things” in the hope it will lead him to “stumble upon a new heyday”.

However, it earlier emerged he demanded a $50 million paycheck to return in Independence Day: Resurgence and another sequel, which the studio declined. “Will Smith cannot come back because he’s too expensive,” said director Roland Emmerich. “But he’d also be too much of a marquee name.”

IGN’s Independence Day: Resurgence review gave it 8/10 and said: “A silly, cheesy, spectacle-driven blockbuster with heart, Independence Day: Resurgence is a refreshing antidote to the grim and the serious sentiment we’ve seen trending in sci-fi flicks of recent years. While its plot is messy and it’s stuffed with too many characters, I dare you not to leave the theatre with a guilt-free smile on your face.”

Want to read more about Independence Day 2? Check out who would win in a Jeff Goldblum battle royale as well as our pick of Hollywood’s top 10 alien invasions.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.