‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’ (2024) Cast And Character Guide

The Beverly Hills Cop series of films is a pop culture phenomenon. The first film was released in 1984, and ever since, it has set quite the precedent in the comedy genre. Eddie Murphy became a superstar overnight, and the actor/comedian has not looked back ever since. Beverly Hills Cop is a cop comedy film that follows Axel Foley, who always finds himself in this part of Los Angeles and has friends who help him solve cases that are outside his jurisdiction. The fourth film, a Netflix Original, is a sequel to the third film released thirty years ago. Three decades later, Axel is back, and this time there are far more important people to him whose lives are at stake. 

Spoilers Ahead

Axel Foley

Legendary comedian and actor Eddie Murphy reprises the role of Axel Foley, the Detroit-based police officer. Thirty years later, he is still going after criminals in his way and succeeds at nabbing them. Over the years, a lot has happened in his life, yet there are some constants he loves to go back to. Jeffrey Friedman, John Taggart, and Billy Rosewood. Besides them, he has a family member, his daughter Jane Saunders, who does not live with him. Jane is a lawyer by profession, and the father and daughter have not been in touch for a long time. Jane grew up in Beverly Hills, while Axel remained in Detroit for his work. This physical distance caused a huge, silent rift between the two. On learning her life could be in danger, he plans to go back to familiar turf in Beverly Hills to find out who was threatening his daughter and to know where Billy Rosewood had disappeared. Keeping these two goals in mind, Axel begins his journey, this time with his daughter reluctantly joining him. Axel and Jane hardly talk, as most of their conversation is just shop talk on his end. At many junctures, Axel blames his daughter for not reaching out to him until he learns a valuable lesson in parenting from someone who is way younger than him. Despite his goofiness, Axel does get into trouble, and it is only his wit that saves him. 

Jane Saunders

Taylour Paige plays Jane Saunders, Axel Foley’s only daughter. Jane is a stubborn woman who is content with the life she is leading without her father. Jane and Axel had not seen eye to eye in years, and she had gotten used to his absence in her life. Jane initially does not intend to help her father owing to their history, but it is the insistence of the cops that forces her to come by and look at their concerns. Jane is surprised to run into Detective Abbott. Both had dated in the past, and her reason for seeing him again was her father, who had abandoned her. She felt perhaps that Abbott would leave her as well, just like her father, which is why she wanted to save herself from any sort of heartbreak. Jane, however, is a passionate lawyer who is working on defending a man who she believes was falsely accused of killing a police officer. Jane is hell-bent on proving the police officer who died and his associates are corrupt, and this allegation could open a Pandora’s box. Jane is also given a death threat, which only ends up making her more resolute. She is not sure who invited her father, Axel, back to Beverly Hills, but she is not happy to see him around trying to help her. 

Bobby Abbott

Joseph Gordon Levitt as Detective Bobby Abbott is the new addition to the Beverly Hills Cop universe. As Detective Bobby, he is the first one to bring in Axel Foley for questioning for creating a ruckus in the city, followed by Billy Rosewood. Detective Bobby Abbott is known to be a good cop, and before that, he was a pilot with the LAPD air support. Detective Abbott inadvertently joins Axel and Jane Saunders in the hope of finding evidence that could lead him to prove one of the top cops from LAPD who was killed was indeed a corrupt official. Abbott and Jane have history with each other, and he is surprised to know Axel Foley is her father. It suddenly made sense to him why she did not want to continue dating him. Abbott planned to stick with Axel and Jane to find dirt on Captain Grant. Abbott, just like Jane, is about to find out many secrets regarding his department and the crime underbelly of the city.

Captain Cade Grant

One of the finest actors in the industry, Kevin Bacon, is another new addition to the Beverly Hills Cop universe as the corrupt cop Captain Cade Grant. Cade Grant is seen at the beginning of the film as someone who claims to be a fan of Axel Foley. However, it did not take much time to figure out that the captain is dirty, as he is seen wearing luxurious clothes and footwear, which is highly unaffordable on a cop’s salary. Captain Cade Grant is indeed a dirty cop who is on the payroll of the local mafia, and he does everything in his capacity to make sure no other cop from his department investigates or arrests the people he is loyal to. Captain Grant goes out of his way to keep tabs on what Axel is up to, and he sends many armed men after him in the hope of eliminating his team, being fully aware of the fact that no authority would question his powers. However, the evidence Billy Rosewood has will implicate him, and things do not look good for him as the story progresses. 

Chief Taggart

John Ashton is back again as Chief Taggart, who is not happy with the methods adopted by Axel Foley, but eventually he must give in to his tactics to find the culprit. John Taggart and Axel go way back, and these two, along with Billy Rosewood, always end up having to solve major cases, usually in Axel’s comical ways. John Taggart, at this point, is aging, and he seems to be facing many health concerns because of it. Taggart is unwilling to believe Captain Grant is corrupt and ends up having to make an unfortunate decision. Taggart has never been a dirty cop and has always worked to maintain the law and order of the state. Chief Taggart will eventually come to the rescue of Axel. 

Billy Rosewood

Judge Reinhold is returning as Billy Rosewood, who is Axel Foley’s old friend and has been an important character in the series from the beginning. It is his disappearance that triggers Axel, Jane, and Abbott to get to the bottom of the case regarding deceased cop Copeland and Captain Cade Grant. Billy Rosewood is being hunted by his friend and his new associates as the man is claimed to have an SD card that could implicate Captain Grant and discredit Detective Copeland, who, as the narrative goes, was murdered while on duty as an undercover cop. Billy Rosewood might well be dead, which is Axel’s greatest fear, as he is not willing to lose a friend.