What could be next for Eddie Murphy?

Hollywood has never quite known what to do with Eddie Murphy. His singular talent has been put to good use but almost always through his own initiative. He first exploded playing dynamic but still somewhat stereotypical streetwise hustlers in 48 Hrs. and Trading Places. He flipped the persona on its head with his triumphant Beverly Hills Cop, which established him as a leading man in his own right.

But after that things got to be more hit or miss. Coming to America -- for a long time -- became is last across the board hit, and recently I revisited two movies from his rocky early 90s period that were a great crash course in what he can't do and what he should probably do more of: Vampire in Brooklyn and Boomerang.

Vampire in Brooklyn is easily one of the strangest (and one of the worst) films in his filmography. His performance is almost totally devoid of comedy and he's attempting to play a dangerous and scary character. But Murphy is such a non-threatening and inherently likable actor that seeming him play an angry, slick killer is just not his forte.

Boomerang is a more interesting case. The movie is a beloved cult classic with black audiences, but it's not as well known by more casual Murphy fans. It's incredibly problematic and dated jokes aside, it's an interesting curiosity. Murphy plays a relatively grounded character -- a womanizing ad exec (with one of these impossible massive NYC apartments that Hollywood is always concocting). 

It's a relatively more low-key comedic performance that grows very funny when tables are turned on his character (hence the title) when he seduced and then discarded by a woman who is not as easily manipulated (Robin Givens). While the movie will win no awards for its woke gender politics, it's a film that provides Murphy and opportunity to be not just vulnerable but to poke a little fun at his hyper cool off-screen persona. It's the kind of performance I wish he were afforded the opportunity to play more often.

Part of why he was such a revelation in Dolemite Is My Name is that it was one of the rare roles that provided Murphy with a chance to play those more insecure and needy notes -- they were always there but are frequently downplayed for wisecracks or completely neutered in the countless forgettable childrens' films which have dominated the last twenty years of his career.

At 59 he is entering a new phase of his career and it could easily go a number of different ways. Right now he is sitting on top of the world with his well-received (by fans, if not critically) long-awaited follow-up to Coming 2 America. 

It's not a groundbreaking film, but a likable enough one and a cozy reminder of how effortlessly funny Murphy can still be especially when playing someone relatable and likable. Still, I'd hate to see Murphy spend this part of his career simply going down memory lane and cashing in on our nostalgia.

I'd love to see him team up with a direct who will really put him through the ringer, like the Safdie Brothers did with Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems, take him out of his comfort zone. I'll always be a fan, he's been a big comedic inspiration for me -- but I feel like he still hasn't consistently explored the full range of his talent, even in an Oscar-nominated turn in Dreamgirls he was relatively restrained.

The only question is whether he is willing to take more risks. He always did in his stand up -- sometimes going to far to the dark side. But a little bit of that edge and unpredictability would be great for his acting too.