The death of Captain Howard in Bad Boys for Life was a shocking loss of one of the franchise's key characters. Joe Pantoliano first played the character in 1995's Bad Boys and stayed in the role for the first three movies alongside stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. While the trailer for the fourth movie, 2024's Bad Boys: Ride or Die, showed that Howard would appear again, it was in a much different capacity as the character was killed off in the third movie.

Bad Boys for Life (2020) follows Miami narcotics detectives, Mike Lowery (Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) taking on crime lord Isabel Aretas (Kate del Castillo) and her son Armando Armas (Jacob Scipio). However, when the pair get too close to the villains, they pay the price as Captain Howard is assassinated as a message to the heroes. Pantoliano's performance as Howard, the rage-filled yet caring mentor to the two cops, was a highlight of the three movies. However, Howard's death influenced the story significantly and his role in the franchise did not end there.

Why Captain Howard Dies In Bad Boys 3

Captain Howard Was Part Of Isabel's Revenge Plan Against Mike

While the death of Captain Howard in Bad Boys for Life was shocking, it further established him as a formidable and effective police officer despite sometimes being a comedic character in the Bad Boys movies. From Isabel’s perspective, Captain Howard was one of the organizing forces that led to her incarceration. As Mike explains it:

“Twenty-four years ago […] Captain Howard pulled me right out of the academy – nobody knew who I was. He sent me in undercover with the Aretas cartel.”

After listing the victims of Isabel and Armando’s shooting spree, Mike concludes, “This is revenge.” As Mike reveals when explaining his backstory, he formed a relationship with Isabel during his time undercover. Though they had plans to run away together, when Mike realized that Isabel was a “stone-cold killer,” he chose to put the woman he loved behind bars.

Exacting revenge on Howard is Isabel’s way of demonstrating that Mike’s betrayal of her affected not only their relationship but everyone in Mike’s orbit.

For Isabel, the one-by-one kill list is a way to slowly turn the screws on Mike, and as she goes down the list, each victim is closer to him personally than the last. Killing Captain Howard, Mike’s friend and mentor, ratchets up the pressure. While Mike may believe that Isabel made him who he is, Isabel likely believes that Captain Howard influenced Mike to turn her over to law enforcement and put her behind bars.

The theme of Bad Boys for Life is the corrupting power of revenge. Exacting revenge on Howard is Isabel’s way of demonstrating that Mike’s betrayal of her affected not only their relationship but everyone in Mike’s orbit, especially the man who pulled him away from her influence, Captain Howard.

Captain Howard's Death Reunites The Bad Boys

Howard's Death Adds To The Arc Of The Two Leads And Makes Them A Team Again

While Will Smith and Martin Lawrence lead Bad Boys for Life into the climax, Joe Pantoliano's Captain Howard is essential in making that possible. Captain Howard also works as a foil to Marcus, whose character arc mirrors Howard’s own. Before he dies, Howard recounts a Buddhist fable about a man riding an out-of-control horse. When asked where he is going, the rider says, “I don’t know. Ask the horse.”

Howard concludes that Mike needs to get control of his life before his own metaphorical horse runs him off a cliff. This is the same mantra that leads to Marcus’ short-lived retirement. Rather than riding the out-of-control horse that is police work, Marcus chooses the simple life of being a grandfather.

When Howard dies, Marcus realizes that he cannot run from the duties of his job. Howard, the only other character who attempts to control his life and put his work in perspective, mirrors Marcus. Not only does the captain’s death function as the motivation Marcus needs to Mike in the hunt for the killers, but it also serves as a reminder that he can both attend family events — like the dinner he invited Mike to before his death and the kids' game where he was killed — and be a functional police officer.

Miami PD Changes Following Captain Howard's Death

Bad Boys: Ride Or Die Further Addressed His Death

Alongside the revenge plot is the formation of AMMO (Advanced Miami Metro Operations), an elite team of officers led by Rita (Paola Nunez) who has been promoted to lieutenant and has a romantic history with Mike. AMMO assists the Bad Boys during almost every action sequence, including the final battle in Mexico, and the team provides young, tech-savvy talents who complement Mike and Marcus’s old-school, shoot-‘em-up style. Much of the film’s generational conflicts and humor occur in the interactions between the Bad Boys and AMMO.

During Bad Boys for Life’s ending scenes, when the AMMO team celebrate their victory with Mike and Marcus, Rita reports that she has been promoted to captain after Howard’s death, which sets up the conflicts that will likely drive the sequel. Rita, connected to the younger cohort of detectives, will be in charge of the aging Bad Boys, creating an interesting age dynamic.

However, Captain Howard's role in Bad Boys: Ride or Die cemented how important he is to this franchise as he continues to be a big part of the story even in his death. The movie finds Mike and Marcus attempting to clear their late mentor's name when he is framed as being corrupt by a team of dirty cops. In many ways, Captain Howard is the heart of the fourth movie and the driving motivation behind the heroes' mission.

His legacy in the franchise also introduced some new conflicts. It is revealed that Howard's US Marshal daughter, Judy (Rhea Seehorn), still holds a deadly grudge against Armando, regardless of the fact that he is Mike's son. This becomes complicated when Mike and Marcus have to go on the run from the law with Armando by their side and Judy pursuing them.

Captain Howard's Best Moments

Howard Delivered Many Of The Funniest Moments In The Series

Though Will Smith and Martin Lawrence get the spotlight in all of the movies, there is no denying that Joe Pantaliano stole many scenes with his wonderful performance as Captain Howard. While he fits the bill nicely as the hot-tempered police captain, a trope of many action movies, he also brings other interesting dynamics to the character, making him both comic relief and a stern boss to the reckless detectives.

One of the funniest moments in the first movie is when a witness to a mob killing calls looking for Mike Lowrey, and when Mike is unavailable, Captain Howard forces Marcus to pretend he's Mike. As Marcus is speaking on the phone to the witness, Howard is constantly telling him that isn't how Mike talks and that he has to sound "sexier". It is a great moment that shows Howard can get into the goofy fun as much as the two main characters.

Bad Boys II offers even more comedic moments for Howard, including the fact that he has been working on his anger with some meditation. However, these techniques are put to the test in a memorable scene in which Howard goes over the reckless car chase the two detectives participated in which caused endless damage.

One of the funniest scenes from the character also comes in the second movie during a scene in which Mike and Marcus bring evidence to their captain proving a massive drug smuggling operation. This is undercut by the fact that Marcus accidentally took ecstasy and is extremely high as Mike is trying not to let Captain Howard notice. It is a silly and over-the-top scene with big laughs and shows just how well Howard fit into the Bad Boys franchise.