Bel-Air’s Cancellation Means The Remake Missed One Of The OG’s Best Will Changes

With season 4 of Bel-Air set to be its last one, the Peacock drama will potentially miss out on re-creating one of the biggest changes to take place in the classic 1990s sitcom. Bel-Air premiered on Peacock in 2022 as a modern remake of the iconic sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, depicting Will Smith, a street-smart teenager facing trouble on the streets of West Philadelphia. After a frightening incident following a basketball game, his mother, Vy, sends Will to live in the prestigious town of Bel-Air with his aunt and her family, including his cousins, Carlton, Hilary, and Ashley.

The drama series was introduced on Peacock as a modern retelling of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and while Bel-Air initially met a mixed response from critics, it received praise for its darker take on the iconic sitcom. While the series proved to be popular, in 2025, it was announced that Bel-Air was cancelled by Peacock. Although the upcoming fourth season is set to provide the answers to many unresolved questions from Bel-Air‘s season 3 finale, the decision to end the series means viewers won’t see a big change that took place in the original show.

Bel-Air Ending With Season 4 Means The Remake Won’t Get To Feature Will & Carlton’s College Years

Bel-Air Is Ending With Only Four Seasons, While The Original Ended With Six

Considering The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s original run of six seasons, it’s disappointing that Peacock chose to cancel Bel-Air after season 4. The final two seasons of the original sitcom depicted both Will and Carlton beginning their college careers and figuring out what they want to do with their future. Seasons 5 and 6 also depict Will and his cousins dealing with the expansion of the Banks family tree in The Fresh Prince, after the birth of the youngest child, Nicky, while his Uncle Phil and Aunt Vivian deal with the reality that the children are growing up.

Meanwhile, season 3 of Bel-Air ended with Vivian discovering that she was pregnant with her fourth child, at a time when Will is unexpectedly kidnapped by Geoffrey’s former gang teammate, and Hilary is struggling with her new husband Lamarcus’ health problems. Given how season 3 ended with the discovery of Vivian’s pregnancy, it is more than likely that the upcoming fourth season will conclude with the introduction of the last Banks family member, Nicky, rather than continue into Will’s college years. While nothing has been confirmed yet, Bel-Air will certainly have a different ending from The Fresh Prince.

Why Will’s College Experience In Fresh Prince Was Such A Great Change

It Allowed New Storylines & The Chance For Will To Grow In Independence

The first four seasons of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air followed Will as he tried to find his place in the Banks family and adjust to their rich and pampered lifestyle. As the series progressed, Will was able to move away from the tough streets of Philadelphia and develop a close bond with his family, particularly with Carlton, Ashley, and Uncle Phil. In what is arguably The Fresh Prince’s most heartbreaking scene, Will acknowledges his Uncle Phil as his true father figure. The final two seasons gave Will a chance to grow in independence as he moved out of the Banks’ house and began his college degree.

I’m Disappointed Bel-Air Season 4 Is The Final One, But The Show Now Has A Big Advantage Over Other Remakes & Reboots

Bel-Air may be coming to a close with season 4, but it has escaped an all-too-common problem of reboots and remakes in the streaming television age.

Seasons 5 and 6 of The Fresh Prince also allowed the sitcom to explore darker and more adult storylines, as seen through Ashley making decisions about her education and relationship with her boyfriend, Derek, and Will’s relationship and engagement to Lisa. The later seasons also tackled serious issues, including violence in society and racism; in what is considered one of the best episodes of The Fresh Prince, Will and Carlton must deal with the aftermath of Will being shot after a robbery. These mature storylines helped Will mature as a character and provided great changes to The Fresh Prince that will be missed in Bel-Air.

Bel-Air Ending Before Will’s College Years Still Makes Sense

It Can Provide A Realistic Ending With The Family Coming Together

A composite image of Will looking on in front of the Banks family around the pool in Bel-Air — Custom Image by Dalton Norman

While Bel-Air’s finale may not be the same as The Fresh Prince, that doesn’t mean that the Peacock drama can’t provide an appropriate ending to Will’s story. Both series follow Will’s transition from a troubled youth to a level-headed young man with a promising future. Bel-Air’s upcoming season 4 will see Will enter his final year of high school and making decisions about his future. Ending Bel-Air with Will graduating from high school, rather than continuing into his college life, offers a realistic end to his story and brings a natural conclusion to the Peacock drama.

Bel-Air season four is expected to be released on Peacock in 2025.

One important Fresh Prince aspect kept by Bel–Air was its focus on family connections and bonding together through difficult times. The impending birth of Nicky Banks in season 4 would serve as the moment that brings the family together once more and would bring an end to Will’s journey of finding his place in the Banks family, and see him begin the next stage of his life. If the series were to continue into Will’s college years, it carries the risk of overcomplicating the plot, so it makes more sense to end Bel-Air on its original narrative.