Wait, Does 'Happy Gilmore's Shooter McGavin Make a Cameo in 'Axel F'?

The Big Picture

• Eddie Murphy reprises his role as Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F on Netflix.
• Christopher McDonald, known for his role as Shooter McGavin in Happy Gilmore , appears in a scene.
• McDonald's character is an homage to his iconic role in Happy Gilmore , as he plays a disgruntled golfer.

Audiences can't seem to get enough of the ageless Eddie Murphy as the wise-cracking Axel Foley. In the fourth installment of the comedy franchise, the rogue cop returns to California in the new Netflix movie Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. This time, his daughter Jane's (Taylour Paige) life is in jeopardy, and he needs to come to her rescue. Most of our favorite characters from the original 1984 film return, including Judge Reinhold as Billy Rosewood, John Ashton as Detective Sergeant John Taggart, Bronson Pinchot as the inimitable Serge, and Paul Reiser as Detective Jeffrey Friedman.

But as good as all these returning characters are forty years later, there is an appearance by a performer who is only in one scene that has us doing a double take. It may not be official, but all signs point to an unlikely merger between Adam Sandler's classic golfing comedy Happy Gilmore and Axel F. Christopher McDonald is one of the best character actors working today. He left an indelible mark on Sandler's breakout movie as the dastardly Shooter McGavin, and a very similar version briefly appears in Axel F, ready to blow the smoke from the barrels of his six-shooters.

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley is the fourth film in the popular comedy franchise starring Eddie Murphy. Murphy returns as Axel Foley in the Netflix film alongside returning cast members Judge Reinhold and John Ashton and Bronson Pinchot as Serge. Kevin Bacon and Joseph Gordon-Levitt also star in the sequel as new characters.

When Does Christopher McDonald Appear in 'Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F'?

When Axel and Beverly Hills P.D. detective Bobby Abbott (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) have just escaped from their holding cells in the movie's third act, Abbott tries to fly them to safety in the department's helicopter. He struggles with the controls, and the helicopter almost crashes on Rodeo Drive as Abbott can't get the chopper safely in the air. Eventually, the helicopter crashes into the middle of the fairway of an upscale golf course. As luck would have it, Christopher McDonald is the entitled golfer whose experience is ruined by the horrible wreckage and debris. While McDonald is only credited as a "golfer" in the end credits, there is a palpable feeling that it is a tip of the cap to the unforgettable horse's ass that is Shooter McGavin in Happy Gilmore.

Finger Guns Point to Shooter McGavin Having a Cameo in 'Axel F'

When the helicopter violently crashes into the fairway, McDonald's character is only concerned that Axel and Abbott have managed to land on top of his spiffy round of golf. He has absolutely no concern for their well-being, telling them that they have crashed on "private property." McDonald aggressively approaches the scene and sends his caddy/lackey into the wreckage to check things out, thinking that a woman is still onboard. McDonald will always be remembered for his air pistols and shoot 'em-up antics as the arch nemesis in Happy Gilmore. If he had been given a little more screen time in Axel F, the six-shooters might have had an opportunity to emerge once again.

Who Is the Man in the Happy Madison Productions Logo?

(Insert Adam Sandler impression here.)

Of all the actors working in Hollywood, we'd be hard-pressed to sell the fact that it was just a coincidence that Shooter McGavin was the actor to play the obnoxious golfer on that course for that scene. McDonald has a long list of significant roles in his filmography, but he will always be remembered for firing off his air pistols and cocky attitude in Happy Gilmore. For him to be the recipient of even more suffering on the golf course is an undeniable homage to Shooter McGavin and the Adam Sandler classic. McDonald recently relayed that he will be a part of Happy Gilmore 2, discussing the project during an interview. "Here's a quick intel. I saw Adam about two weeks ago, and he said to me, 'McDonald. You're going to love this.' I said, 'What?' And he said, 'How about that?' and he showed me a first draft of Happy Gilmore 2."

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F is available to watch on Netflix in the U.S.

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