For millions of fans, Robin Padilla will always be the original “Bad Boy,” the hard-edged action icon who defined Philippine cinema in the 1990s.

The look is still there. The attitude is still there. The legend, apparently, is not done.

But Padilla himself admits the label hasn’t aged quite the same way he has.

“Hindi na rin siguro bagay kasi Bad Boy, bata e ’di ba? Boy nga, e. Hindi na ako believable. Pero pangit din naman ‘Bad Man,’ iba ang dating…”

Still, here we are with “Bad Boy 3.”

So why bring it back?

“Itong pelikula namin ay para naman doon sa mga taong naka-miss sa character na si Bumbo, si Bad Boy. Matagal na rin kasing hinihiling. At ako mismo, na-miss ko na rin gumawa ng action films.”

In short, the fans wanted it, and so did he.

But alongside the comeback, Padilla is pushing a bigger mission: pushing Filipino action cinema to global standards.

He believes the genre has fallen behind its regional neighbors.

“Makikita mo sa Thailand at Vietnam, may mga action films sila na pang-international talaga. Sa atin, sayang. Kaya kailangan ibalik natin ang action dito sa bansa.”

He also pointed to Filipino influence on global martial arts cinema, citing Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do lineage through Filipino martial arts master Dan Inosanto.

Understandable, but why only now?

Padilla says the timing traces back to politics.

“Nag-umpisa po kami nito 2014. Bigla po kasi yung aking paboritong kandidato nanalong presidente,” he said, referring to former president Rodrigo Duterte.

“Kaya nung nanalo po siyang presidente, anim na taon po ’yon, doon po kami nakatutok. Kaya hindi po ako nakapagtrabaho sa pelikula.”

The “Bad Boy 3” advance screening in Quezon City came just hours after an alleged incident involving Padilla and Jonvic Remulla, the Interior and Local Government Secretary, at the Senate.

The "Senate Bad Boy?"

Padilla’s smile hinted at the irony, but he declined to engage the issue.

“Mahirap 'yan. Dito tayo sa pelikula. Magulo masyado ang politika,” he said. “Mas masaya sa showbiz. Iba ang ligaya.”

Co-produced by Viva Films and RCP Films International, “Bad Boy 3” leans heavily into classic Filipino action, updated with modern filmmaking.

It carries an R-18 rating due to intense violence and gore.

For Padilla, that isn’t a drawback, it’s the point.

“Wala, kung lalabnawan natin, lalo tayong mapag-iiwanan,” he said.

The film serves as both reboot and reinvention, blending gritty fight scenes, stunts, and emotional storytelling.

And Padilla is already looking ahead.

“Opo, meron na. Sa ‘Bad Boy 4,’ ipapamana ko na po ang titulo na ito sa mas batang artista.”

Although he named several actors including Richard Gutierrez, Ruru Madrid, Gerald Anderson, among others, he hinted at passing the torch to his nephew, Daniel Padilla, as the next “Bad Boy.”

His brother, Rommel Padilla, confirmed the project is already in motion.

“In the works na po ’yan. Kailangan doon sa kagalingan din ibigay.”

For longtime fans, “Bad Boy 3” is a reminder of an era when Philippine action ruled the big screen. For Padilla, it’s simple: one more run with the character that made him a legend, retooled according to modern standards.