We all know the signature outfit from Men in Black, it's an all-black suit, black tie, white button down and sunglasses. However, before Will Smith's character turned into Agent J, he was an NYPD detective, who wore a more colorful ensemble. Clearly, Smith still has Agent J in the back of his mind all these years later, because a fan called out how the actor accidentally threw it back to his iconic role from Men in Black in an uncanny photo.
Before becoming Agent J, Smith was NYPD detective James Darrell Edwards III who chased after criminals without any knowledge they were aliens. Do you by any chance remember what this detective wore before donning that stylish signature suit of the Men In Black? One fan, Jbokse, did when Will Smith posted a photo of himself on his trip to Saudi Arabia for the Camel Cup. The actor was wearing a similar-looking white T-shirt and orange track pants with an equally orange sweatshirt tied around his waist, just like what he wore during the first scene of Men in Black. The Oscar winner saw the realization, and he humorously responded, “YOOO @jbokse, how’d you even THINK of this?!?! 🤯 Hahahahaha!” Take a look at the uncanny side-by-side Instagram photo below:
Considering it’s been 25 years since the first Men in Black movie, it’s possible Will Smith didn’t remember his laid-back costume from the beginning for the movie. His most memorable fashion ensemble, of course, was his slick black suit and tie with a neuralyzer in his hand to help citizens forget about any extraterrestrial sightings. Maybe Agent K used a neuralyzer on Smith to help him forget that at one point in his youth, he had orange as part of his color wheel. As another fan pointed out, now the King Richard star needs to don his purple suit from Bad Boys 2. With Bad Boys 4 being official, we shall see, I know I sure hope we get another wardrobe throwback, but maybe this time it would be intentional.
If there’s anyone to thank for Will Smith getting one of his signature, it’s Men in Black director Barry Sonnenfeld’s wife Susan. She loved Smith’s performance in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Not to mention, it also helped that Smith’s classic sci-fi film Independence Day was the top-grossing movie the previous year before Men in Black came out. Now, the role has turned into one of the actor's most iconic characters, suit and orange ensemble included.
The last time we saw Will Smith play Agent J was when he went time jumping in Men in Black 3 back in 2012. While he may be returning to his Bad Boys role in the near future, his days of chasing aliens in his suit and tie may be over. The I Am Legend actor has previously said he has no interest in being part of a Men in Black 4 movie. He said that three was enough, and it's time to let someone else take the reins of that role. There's also the fact that Smith has admitted he “fumbled” the sci-fi franchise’s sequels, expressing discontent over them. However, while the Hitch star may have said goodbye to Agent J, he clearly still has clothes that resemble the character's wardrobe in his life.
Whether Will Smith realizes this or not, his Men in Black role will probably never escape him with the uncanny photo to prove it. You can watch his performance in all three Men in Black movies on your Peacock subscription.
