Will Smith said in 1998 that he wanted to emulate the career choices of Tom Cruise, Eddie Murphy, Tom Hanks, Robin Williams and Jim Carrey by moving between genres rather than being defined by one type of film. He believed varied roles would reduce direct comparisons with his previous work and leave more room for failure, a strategy that helped shape his rise as a major Hollywood star.

After The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Smith delivered a run of 1990s hits including Bad Boys, Independence Day and Men in Black, while also taking risks with less conventional projects such as Wild Wild West. The article notes that Independence Day earned $817 million from a $75 million budget and Men in Black made $590 million from a $90 million budget; Smith later gained an Oscar nomination for Ali and won Best Actor for King Richard. It adds that his future box-office appeal remains uncertain after the 2022 Oscars incident, despite the success of Bad Boys: Ride or Die.