20 Movie Sequels Everyone Knew Were A Huge Mistake (But Still Got Made)

Independence Day: Resurgence had "bad idea" written all over it the moment it was announced that original star Will Smith wouldn't be appearing it, due to a scheduling conflict with Suicide Squad.

Though there was clearly money in a legacy sequel to the original 1996 sci-fi classic, it was absolutely contingent on having Smith lead the returning ensemble cast.

And so, lo and behold, the reception to Independence Day: Resurgence was effectively a chorus of folks complaining about Smith's absence, and especially the short-sighted decision to kill off his character, Captain Steven Hiller, rather than leave the door open for his return in a potential sequel.

In a 2023 interview, series co-star Vivica A. Fox straight-up said the film was "not good" because Smith wasn't in it, and even director Roland Emmerich later expressed his disappointment it.

Hell, Emmerich even admitted that he should've stopped making the film after Smith dropped out, leaving the filmmakers to "cobble together" another script without Hiller.