Here’s how Independence Day: Resurgence explained the return of Brent Spiner’s seemingly deceased Dr. Okun from the first movie. Roland Emmerich made a name for himself in Hollywood following the success of 1992’s Universal Soldier, which pit undead soldier’s Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren against one another. He followed up with 1994’s sci-fi adventure Stargate, which later became a long-running TV franchise.
Independence Day is arguably his most famous movie, with the 1996 blockbuster featuring hostile aliens coming to Earth to blow up landmarks and generally cause mayhem. In addition to great special effects it it helped solidify Will Smith as a movie star. Emmerich would follow this with Godzilla, a remake of the iconic Japanese monster franchise. The movie was lambasted by critics and fans upon release and is still widely hated today. Roland Emmerich’s filmography in the years since has been something of a mixed bag, combining guilty pleasures like The Day After Tomorrow with duds like White House Down.
Independence Day: Resurgence was in development for many years, but unfortunately, it didn’t prove to be worth the wait. It lacked the freshness of the original and was hampered by leaden drama and comic relief that often fell flat. Roland Emmerich himself has since expressed regret in making it without Will Smith, who opted out of returning to star in Suicide Squad instead. One of the surprise revelations about Independence Day: Resurgence prior to its release was that Dr. Okun was returning - in spite of his apparent demise in the previous movie.
In Independence Day, Okun was attacked by an alien in Area 51, which used him as a telepathic puppet to talk to President Whitmore (Bill Pullman). The President’s men later shoot the alien dead, and a quick inspection of Okun’s pulse following the attack all but confirmed his death. Independence Day: Resurgence instead reveals that the attack placed Okun in a coma, and after the alien’s return, he suddenly awakens. Due to being telepathically linked to the aliens following the first movie, Okun overcame little matters like brain damage because he’s linked to the alien hive mind.
Dr. Okun’s performer Brent Spiner - famous to Star Trek: The Next Generation fans as Data - later revealed a cut line of dialogue in Independence Day would have confirmed his character’s death. This allowed some ambiguity for Independence Day: Resurgence, where his oddball scientist is key to the fight against the alien’s harvesters. While the sequel ended with a cliffhanger that would have seen Earth take the fight to the aliens, its middling box-office results make Independence Day 3 unlikely.
Next: Why Independence Day 3 Hasn’t Happened
