Will Smith Didn’t Want to Star in Men in Black — It’s Now Crushing Streaming Charts
It’s been a relatively quiet 2025 for Will Smith following his action-packed role in Bad Boys: Ride or Die, but one of his oldest and most iconic films is making a major comeback. Men in Black (1997), the sci-fi comedy co-starring Tommy Lee Jones and Vincent D’Onofrio, is now one of the most-watched titles on Starz, currently sitting at #6 on the platform’s streaming charts in the United States.
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The film, based on Lowell Cunningham’s comic book series, follows secret government agents who monitor extraterrestrial life on Earth. Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld with a screenplay by Ed Solomon, Men in Black was a massive critical and commercial success. It earned over $589 million at the global box office against a $90 million budget and still holds a 91% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an 81% audience score.
Interestingly, Will Smith originally didn’t want to star in the film. In a 2023 interview with Kevin Hart, Smith admitted he was hesitant to take on another alien-related movie right after Independence Day (1996). He feared being typecast and initially turned down Men in Black until producer James Lassiter persuaded him otherwise. Smith also revealed that he initially resisted roles in other critically acclaimed films like Ali and The Pursuit of Happyness.
Now, years later, Men in Black is once again reminding audiences why it’s considered a landmark film in Smith’s career. While Smith’s upcoming film projects remain under wraps, the renewed popularity of this nostalgic favorite proves his legacy as a Hollywood icon is far from fading.
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