Summary
Eddie Murphy’sBeverly Hills Cop: Axel Funites the comedy legend with both returning and new characters for yet another case in California.All 4Beverly Hills Copmovieshave now featured several familiar faces, and while Murphy is the center of this cinematic universe, it’s his relationships with the others that elevates things. Foley bounces off others, clashes with them, criticizes them, and without them, he wouldn’t have the same energy.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’s casthas added Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylour Paige, and Kevin Bacon in prominent roles, with the rest of the principle stars returning from previous franchise movies. Judge Reinhold and John Ashton reunited after the latter sat out Beverly Hills Cop III, Paul Reiser also similarly returns after one absence, and Bronson Pinchot is back for a third outing as fan favorite Serge. Butnot every character who made an impact in the originalBeverly Hills Copmovies returns inAxel F…
Serge
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F Ending Explained
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F finds Eddie Murphy’s title character on his most personal case yet, and the sequel leaves the door open for another movie.
5Inspector Douglas Todd
Played By: Gil Hill
Before being cast inBeverly Hills Copas Axel Foley’s hair-trigger-tempered boss,Gil Hill was a real-life cop, rising up to the rank of Inspector in Homicidebefore moving on to a political career in Detroit. His only acting roles came in the first three Beverly Hills Cop movies, and he passed on other opportunities.
Todd’s hairdryer tirades were the stuff of legend, and there was a genuine sense that for all of his bravado and rule-bending, Foley was genuinely scared of his Inspector.
Why Todd Didn’t Return
Sadly, Hill died on February 29, 2016having appeared in all three of the first movies. His character was killed off in 1994’sBeverly Hills Cop III, prompting Foley’s third trip to Beverly Hills, to investigate criminal links to Disney World rip-off Wonderworld.
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4Andrew Bogomil
Played By: Ronny Cox
When Axel Foley first meets Lt Andrew Bogomil in Beverly Hills Cop, he’s a by-the-book officer, but he proves himself open to hearing Foley’s theory about criminal kingpin and art-dealer Victor Maitland (Steven Berkoff). His approach to policing clashes with Foley’s, but by the end, he too bends the rules to protect Foley.
Bogomil was the only surviving Beverly Hills PD employee who returned after the first movie, with the entire staff - including stick-in-the-mud detective pairing Foster and McCabe (Art Kimbro and Joel Bailey) moved on after the first movie.
Why Bogomil Didn’t Return
Bogomil doesn’t return inBeverly Hills Cop III, and no explanation is offered for why. Like John Ashton’s Taggart he could well have retired, as Billy Rosewood was promoted to second in command of the department. Cox was intended to be in Beverly Hills Cop III, but he toldAV Clubyears later that “They wanted me to be in Beverly Hills Cop III, but… I read the script.”
Cox is still acting, but doesn’t appear inAxel F, andeven if he was asked, his role is taken by Taggart(John Ashton), who is in charge of the police department when Foley returns, making Bogomil redundant. It’s a shame he didn’t have a chance for at least a small cameo, but there’s alwaysBeverly Hills Cop 5.
Jan Bogomil (Alice Adair), his daughter, also appears inBeverly Hills Cop IIfor a single appearance, and like her father, didn’t return for the trilogy ender.
3Jon Flint
Played By: Héctor Elizondo
In Taggart’s absence (due to John Ashton’s scheduling conflict), Héctor Elizondo’s Jon Flint came intoBeverly Hills Cop IIIas Billy Rosewood’s new partner. He also had ties to villain Ellis DeWald, as his friend.Flint’s role was always intended to be played by Taggart, but was rewritten when Ashton couldn’t return.
Why Flint Didn’t Return
Narratively-speaking, Flint’s role wasn’t necessary inAxel F. Billy Rosewood has left the force to be a private investigator, and Taggart is the boss. Pretty muchevery other named cop in the sequel is dirty, and Jon Flint simply wouldn’t have fit. Elizondo continues to act, having most recently appeared inMr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Moviein 2023.
2Janice Perkins
Played By: Theresa Randle
InBeverly Hills Cop III, Theresa Randle is brought in as a comedy romantic foil to Axel Foley.She’s an employee at Wonderworld, and is very openly attracted to Murphy’s hero and flirts with him several times. By the end of the movie, with DeWald killed off, Axel and Janice start a relationship.
Why Janice Didn’t Return
Randle played a part in another legacy sequel,Bad Boys For Life, in 2023 having not appeared in a role for 10 years previous to that.She was then subsequently recast forBad Boys: Ride or Die, and has seemingly all-but retired.Axel Ffails to answer who the mother of Axel’s daughter is, and Janice would have been a smart choice, given her part in the third movie.
1Jeannette “Jenny” Summers
Played By: Lisa Eilbacher
In the firstBeverly Hills Cop, Axel Foley’s two childhood friends Jenny and Mikey (James Russo) play pivotal rules in bringing the Detroit cop west. She gets Mikey a job as a security guard, and when he’s murdered, Jenny teams up with Axel to investigate the truth, putting herself in the firing line of her boss Maitland.
Jenny was initially intended to be a romantic interest for Axel when Sylvester Stallone was cast.
Why Jenny Didn’t Return
Arguably the strangest of all the missing characters from everyBeverly Hills Copsequel, Jenny was supposed to be Axel Foley’s childood friend, but didn’t matter enough for him to reconnect with her when he returned to the city.
Despite the obvious set-up to bring Jenny back (particularly with Bronson Pinchot’s Serge making his third appearance), Jenny doesn’t appear inAxel F.Lisa Eilbacher retired from acting in 1995, so presumably wouldn’t have been available to return even if asked.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F
Cast
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.
