10 Films That Retconned Themselves (To Fix Glaring Mistakes)

Throughout the otherwise uneven comedy sci-fi franchise, the titular Men In Black, K and J have stellar chemistry. The contrast between Will Smith’s streetwise smartass J and Tommy Lee Jones’ stoic, self-serious straight man K provide the biggest laughs of the series.

However, in MIB III, the final film prior to 2019’s disastrous MIB: International reboot, an explanation for their partnership is offered which a lot of fans found… wanting, to say the least. The second film was poorly received and accused of retreading the same territory as the first, prompting the creators to take a completely different route with the long-delayed third film.

The end of the time travelling adventure reveals that a younger agent K was forced to stand by and witness the death of J’s biological dad as he sacrificed himself to stop evil alien Boris. It certainly explains how K tracked down J years later and adds a little pathos to their back-and-forth, but the fanbase remains split as to whether the development deepened their friendship or spoiled the rapport by overexplaining and adding a tragic dimension to the dynamic.