Joe Pantoliano's franchise character may be dead, but Bad Boys: Ride or Die is bringing back his Captain Howard role in the perfect way. Pantoliano had played firm and highly strung yet slightly zany Captain Conrad Howard, who detectives Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) reported to since the initial 1995 Bad Boys movie. He established a deeply rooted and fan-favorite legacy of being a spirited captain and becoming like family to the detectives, which was even more of a reason why his death in the setup to Bad Boys For Life's twist ending was particularly distressing.
https://screenrant.com/bad-boys-4-joe-pantoliano-return-perfect/