Men In Black: 10 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About The Franchise You Never Knew

The Men in Black franchise features some of the most unique and innovative alien creations ever seen, including friendly ones and ones that wish us harm. Despite the franchise’s ups and downs its sense of fun has always remained constant and the original remains one of Will Smith’s best films.

But these large blockbusters were by no means easy to create, requiring the coordination of hundreds of people. And the surprising behind-the-scenes secrets display just what a complicated process it is. With this in mind here are 10 behind-the-scenes facts you never knew about the Men in Black franchise.

10 Vincent D’Onofrio’s Prep

Vincent D’Onofrio put in a lot of work to get into the mind of the monstrous cockroach alien that aimed to destroy the Earth. The esteemed actor watched a lot of bug documentaries to get in the mind of the creature, and develop a better understanding of it.

In addition to that, he wore a leg brace, preventing him from bending his leg. This allowed him to convincingly portray an alien inhabiting the skin of a human.

9 Animal Saftey

Men in Black’s villainous cockroach alien was a monster like nothing ever seen before, the hideous creature had no compassion, other than for his own kind. In the film’s climactic battle J aggravates the creature by stepping on cockroaches.

But to achieve the scene The American Humane Society made sure no animals were harmed during the filming. In reality, Will Smith crushes packets of mustard and no animals were harmed during the making of the movie.

8 Clint Eastwood Was Almost Cast

Before casting Tommy Lee Jones as the seasoned Men in Black operative, Agent K in the very first movie, Clint Eastwood was offered the role but turned it down.

Clint Eastwood would have certainly been an interesting choice to play the role. Undoubtedly his stoic cool would have likely made for a nice combo with Will Smith’s comedic charisma. However, there’s no doubt that the right choice was made in casting Jones, as he and Smith have excellent chemistry and make a great team.

7 Will Smith Tried To Get His Son a Role

When Men in Black 3 rolled around in 2012, Will Smith’s son Jaden Smith had already appeared alongside his father in The Pursuit of Happyness. Will Smith reportedly suggested his son for the role of Colonel James Darrell Edwards’ son, who is revealed to be Jay in the past.

Director Barry Sonnenfeld had other ideas however and the role was given to Cayen Martin instead. The decision is clearly the right one, and Martin delivers a great performance with his small role in one of the films more heartbreaking scenes.

6 Mark Walburg Was Almost Cast

Men in Black 3 had the difficult task of finding someone to play a younger version of Kay. For the role, they would need a talented actor that not only physically resembled Tommy Lee Jones but was also able to convincingly adopts his mannerisms.

Mark Wahlberg was almost cast in the role, and it’s easy to see the resemblance. Ultimately though Josh Brolin was given the role, and delivers an outstanding performance, featuring all the same Kay ticks that fans of the franchise had grown accustomed to.

5 Director Cameo

Director Barry Sonnefeld makes a small cameo appearance in Men in Black 2. He features as a husband enjoyed an evening in with his wife and daughter when Jay and Kay enter to their surprise. The agents then adjust the thermostat revealing a hidden room of advanced firearms.

Sonnefeld directed the first 3 entries in the franchise and collaborated once again with Will Smith for the notorious box-office flop Wild Wild West.

4 Frank Needed Make-Up For the Sequel

5 years passed between the release of the original Men in Black and its long-awaited sequel. For the majority of the cast, this was barely noticeable and caused no issues.

But for Mushu, the canine actor portraying Frank the Pugg this proved to be a problem as he was now 7 years old. As a result of this, some of his fur had gone gray and required make-up to hide it.

3 Rip Torn’s Cameo

Rip Torn featured in the first 2 Men in Black movies, appearing as Agent Z, the head of the Men in Black agency, and one of its founding members. But the third movie in the franchise saw his character pass.

The agents hold a funeral for Zed after his death, and although uncredited Torn makes a cameo appearance at the funeral as the large-headed alien. That’s the blue one if you’re unsure.

2 Canceled Crossover

After the release of the third Men in Black movie, the franchise was in an uneasy spot. With Jay and Kay’s adventures concluded – where would the franchise go next? The plan at the time was to cross the series over with another Sony-owned franchise, 21 Jump Street. Starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum the series had found a lot of success.

However, these plans were scrapped, and instead, a fourth film was released that acted as a soft-reboot of the series introducing a new pair of Men in Black agents to the world.

1 David Schwimmer Was Almost Cast

Before the casting of Will Smith as Agent J in the original Men in Black movie, David Schwimmer, best known for his role as Ross Gellar in Friends, was almost cast. Schwimmer would have brought his unique style of comedy to the role and would have by no means been a bad choice.

But, when compared to Will Smith he pales in comparison. Casting Smith in the role was the right decision and his performance as Agent J remains one of the best of his career.

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