Summary
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F brings back beloved characters while introducing new ones, striking a perfect balance between nostalgia and fresh elements.
The chemistry between Eddie Murphy’s Axel Foley and Paul Reiser’s Det. Jeffrey Friedman is sure to be a highlight of the film.
The return of characters like Serge and Sgt. John Taggart, played by Bronson Pinchot and John Ashton respectively, adds to the excitement and anticipation for Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.
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The trailer for the upcoming Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F shows star Eddie Murphy returning to the franchise along with familiar and fresh faces. While the more specific details are limited, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F sees Murphy’s titular Axel Foley return to Beverly Hills after the death of a close friend spurs him to investigate the corruption plaguing the Beverly Hills Police Department. Although there were many delays making Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, the trailer for the upcoming sequel shows Murphy dishing out his signature brand of humor while also interacting with characters both new and old to the franchise.
With Murphy’s recent streaming successes such as Dolemite Is My Name and Coming 2 America, Murphy looks to continue his streak with the 2024 release of Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. Although Murphy is undoubtedly the upcoming action comedy’s biggest star, the trailer promises to bring back beloved characters from the previous installment while also including newer characters. Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’s decision to do this is intentional as it strikes a perfect balance between recapturing the magic from the previous movies, while also infusing it with new blood. From Murphy’s beloved Axel Foley to other less obvious choices, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F has some familiar faces returning.
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5 Paul Reiser As Det. Jeffrey Friedman
Det. Jeffrey Friedman appeared in Beverly Hills Cop and Beverly Hills Cop II
Jeffrey first appeared in Beverly Hills Cop as Axel’s occasional partner and friend, who was known for offering unsolicited advice regarding his career. Furthermore, Jeffrey would prove to be one of Axel’s closest friends when he was seen on multiple occasions getting chewed out by their boss courtesy of Axel’s behavior. Whereas Axel developed a reputation for being lous and boisterous, Jeffrey was much more mild-mannered and professional. Appearing in the first two movies, he was absent from Beverly Hills Cop III, but confirmation of Jeffrey’s return in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F leaves much to be desired regarding his and Axel’s newer interactions.
One of Hollywood’s most prolific character actors, Reiser developed a reputation for showcasing his range over the years after appearing in vastly different projects, such as Beverly Hills Cop II, Funny People, and Whiplash, to name a few. Furthermore, Reiser would enjoy more widespread acclaim with appearances in TV shows, Mad About You, Curb Your Enthusiam, Stranger Things, and most recently, The Boys. As exciting as actors Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Taylour Paige playing new characters is for the franchise, the chemistry between Reiser’s Jeffrey alongside Murphy’s Axel is sure to be one of the highlights of Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.
4 Bronson Pinchot As Serge
Serge appears in Beverly Hills Cop and Beverly Hills Cop III
Serge debuts in Beverly Hills Cop as an art dealer, and his art gallery scene alongside Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop remains one of the funniest in the franchise. While Axel is awaiting a meeting with an old acquaintance, the scene sees Serge failing miserably at pronouncing Axel’s name all while trying to explain the intricate nature of selling art. The scene was brief, but it instantly made Serge one of Beverly Hills Cop’s most beloved characters, thus ensuring he would return in future installments. Although Serge was absent from Beverly Hills Cop II, he returns in Beverly Hills Cop III, and works as a weapons dealer for antagonist Victor Maitland.
The trailer for Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F sees Pinchot return in a brief scene in which he and Axel exchange brief lines of dialogue inside a sports car, thus guaranteeing his no doubt hilarious return. One of the industry’s best character actors, Pinchot carried the momentum from Beverly Hills Cop into other beloved cult classic films like After Hours, True Romance, and Beverly Hills Cop III. While the actor seems to have refocused his efforts on the small screen with a string of appearances in shows like Ray Donovan, NCIS: Hawai’i, and Our Flag Means Death, Pinchot’s Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F will reunite the actor with Murphy in 2024.
3 John Ashton As Sgt. John Taggart
Sgt. John Taggart appeared in Beverly Hills Cop and Beverly Hills Cop II
John Taggart first appeared in Beverly Hills Cop as the stern but fair police officer known for his partnership with the less austere William “Billy” Rosewood. Although John was less exuberant than either Axel or Billy, he left an impression on audiences, as he was shown to be one of the few cops willing to stick up for Axel despite their initial rocky relationship. He endeared himself to viewers even more when he elected to tell the truth and face being chewed out by Lieutenant Bogomil after Axel’s ridiculously funny super-cop story from Beverly Hills Cop, instead of running with the lie.
Ashton’s subtle body language ticks, such as raising John’s eyebrows and his stone-faced expressions when dealing with Axel’s antics made John an immediately likable character, and it spoke volumes to the actor’s ability to hold his own with the comedic force that was a young Eddie Murphy. In addition to Beverly Hills Cop and Beverly Hills Cop II, Ashton delivered memorable performances in Some Kind of Wonderful and Midnight Run. Although John retired from the police force as of Beverly Hills Cop III, the trailer for Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, looks to reunite him with his old Axel and Billy once again.
2 Judge Reinhold As Det. William “Billy” Rosewood
Det. William “Billy” Rosewood appeared in all three previous Beverly Hills Cop Movies
Billy has appeared in all three Beverly Hills Cop movies, thus making him the second most prominent character in the series after Axel. In Beverly Hills Cop, Billy is depicted as the less serious partner of Sgt. John Taggart, who resonates with Axel’s cowboy antics more than anyone else on the force. Despite Billy’s more laid-back demeanor and lack of competency displayed in Beverly Hills Cop, Billy undergoes a great deal of character development by improving his marksmanship and aptitude for successfully handling lethal situations in Beverly Hills Cop II and Beverly Hills Cop III.
Reinhold’s career rose to prominence after the success of Beverly Hills Cop, and he would make appearances in Gremlins, Saturday Night Live, Seinfeld, Teen Titans, and The Boondocks. Considering he’s the only other major actor to appear in all three Beverly Hills Cop movies, Reinhold’s return to Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F rounds out the iconic trio seen throughout the majority of the franchise. Furthermore, Reinhold and Ashton’s reprisal of their roles leaves much to be desired regarding their amazing chemistry in previous installments. Although it isn’t known just how much prominence Reinhold will have, his inclusion is still great news for the upcoming Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.
1 Eddie Murphy as Det. Axel Foley
Axel Foley appeared in all three previous Beverly Hills Cop Movies
Axel Foley is the young, foul-mouthed, and eccentric protagonist of the Beverly Hills Cop franchise, and his quick thinking combined with his impressive skill as a law enforcement agent have made him one of the best onscreen movie cops in cinematic history. Axel begins the franchise as brash and arrogant, but with each subsequent movie, he matures and develops a more professional approach to his work, thus making him a more relatable protagonist. While the details for Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F are scarce, it is known that Axel will return to his former stomping grounds to solve a new crime with Billy and Taggart.
Although Eddie Murphy hated the Beverly Hills Cop sequels, they helped launch him into super stardom as his charisma and brilliant comedic timing firmly established Axel as a cop character rarely seen before. With appearances on Saturday Night Live, the 48 Hrs. movies, Coming to America, Mulan, and his work on the Shrek franchise, Murphy cemented himself as one of the most versatile and prolific actors of his time, and his string of Netflix releases like Dolemite Is My Name, Coming 2 America, and Candy Cane Lane have reignited his career. With Murphy’s return to Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, it looks like Murphy won’t be slowing down soon.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley is the fourth film in the popular comedy franchise starring Eddie Murphy. Murphy returns as Axel Foley in the Netflix film alongside returning cast members Judge Reinhold and John Ashton and Bronson Pinchot as Serge. Kevin Bacon and Joseph Gordon-Levitt also star in the sequel as new characters.