Eddie Murphy regards the 'Beverly Hills Cop' films as among his most essential works. Here's why

The intrepid actor does, however, consider his part as Axel Foley in the "Beverly Hills Cop" franchise to be one of his most memorable.

"Before 'Beverly Hills Cop,' there had never been a movie that starred a Black man, a Black person, that was successful all over the world," Murphy remarked in a recent interview with Extra, referring to the impending fourth part of the film series, "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F."

Murphy went on to remark that "even today, when Black people create movies, most of the time they work in the United States, and outside of the country, they don't work.

The Oscar-nominated actor cited his prior performances in "The Nutty Professor" and "Coming to America" as examples of global hits, but stated that "'Beverly Hills Cop' started it and started that."

"That's where you get Will (Smith) and The Rock, they do it now," remarked the rapper. "But 'Beverly Hills Cop' is the first one that did it."

Capping off the franchise's global popularity, Murphy also stated that a fifth episode is presently in the works, with film producer Jerry Bruckheimer "working on the script." "Beverly Hills Cop" aired in 1984 and was a career-defining performance for Murphy.

It received an Academy Award nomination for best original screenplay and inspired two sequels, "Beverly Hills Cop II" (1987) and "Beverly Hills Cop III" (1994), before the upcoming fourth installment.

The first film, directed by Martin Brest, starred Murphy, Judge Reinhold, Bronson Pinchot, Lisa Eilbacher, Paul Reiser, and John Ashton. It followed Foley, a rebellious Detroit cop, as he investigated the murder of a childhood friend in Beverly Hills.

Reinhold, Reiser, Ashton, and Pinchot will return to their roles in Mark Malloy's "Axel F" alongside Murphy. Kevin Bacon, Taylour Paige, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt join the cast as newcomers to the franchise. "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F" will be available for streaming on Netflix on July 3.