Will Smith Won’t Be Saving The World In ‘Independence Day: Resurgence’ Because He Died

In 1996, aliens took over the White House and the world in the blockbuster hit, Independence Day. And now, almost twenty years after its release, there is going to be yet another man-versus-alien battle in Independence Day: Resurgence. The trailer for the sequel has just been released and while it discusses the ongoing alien battle, one thing that will be different from the its original, is Will Smith as Capt. Steve Hiller.

It was previously announced that Smith wouldn’t be returning to his major screen role when news of the sequel hit the media in January, but even so, a sequel without the actor is somewhat disappointing; some were still wondering where the leading actor may have gone. The film answers that, explaining that Smith’s character was promoted to Colonel in 2007 but died shortly after as a result of complications in testing out the first alien hybrid fighter. But not to worry, his legacy is carried on by his loving wife, played by Vivica A. Fox, and son.

The war of 1996 unfortunately isn’t quite over yet. The new trailer shows that the world is back again, fighting in what appears to be a more action-packed and explosive battle. A lot of new faces are joining the battle, but returning to the screen, are Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman, who played the U.S. president in the first film.

As more details surrounding the film’s release date unravel, it will be interesting to see how it incorporates Hiller’s death into the storyline. And as far as the rest of the film’s storyline goes, hopefully the world will make it out okay without Hiller to save the day.

Check out the Independence Day: Resurgence trailer below.