The fate of Will Smith revealed at Independence Day: Resurgence viral site

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Captain Steven Hiller is dead. May he rest in peace.

And that about sums up where Will Smith is in regards to the INDEPENDENCE DAY sequels, as revealed by the viral site WarOf1996.com which accompanied the launch of the new INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE teaser trailer.

With Will Smith opting not to return for the franchise's upcoming sequels, something needed to be done to address the character's lack of presence in the films… and apparently killing him off seemed like the best idea to the creative minds involved.

According to the viral site, Hiller, now a Colonel, was killed while testing new hybrid equipment due to an unknown malfunction. He was still very much involved with forwarding mankind's preparation for any future alien attacks, serving the United Nations' Earth Space Defense program and its director David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum).

Looks like they really closed the window on Will Smith ever changing his mind, although anything can happen in the movies if they think creatively enough.

INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE descends into theaters on June 24, 2016.