The cornerstone of the "Men in Black" trilogy is undeniably the star power and chemistry of the film's two lead actors, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. Their iconic portrayal of agents Jay and Kay have been one of the main draws of the franchise, but neither star is currently set to come back for the reported "Men in Black" reboot.

In an interview with producers Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald, Hollywood Reporter revealed that a new "Men in Black" movie is in the works. The pair did not divulge many details of the project, but they did confirm that the revival of the franchise is currently an "active" process.

"We're in the middle of it," Parkes assured. "It's very active."

When asked if A-list actor Smith will be involved with the project that has been part of his repertoire for years, the executives denied it. "Most likely no," Parkes answered.

MacDonald explained the decision behind not recruiting the star to come back, saying, "It will be reinvented as a trilogy."

As a reinvention instead of a sequel, the new "Men in Black" trilogy will not need the presence of high-profile stars of the original films.

It might be a bit jarring for fans to see the beloved Will Smith franchise in the works without the star involved, but it's not the first of Smith's famed movies to be in talks of a reboot without his participation. "Independence Day: Resurgence" is getting a sequel and Smith won't be part of the upcoming blockbuster either.

In an interview with Cinema Blend, director Roland Emmerich explained the star's decision to opt out of the sequel.

"In the very beginning, I wanted to work with him and he was excited to be in it but then after a while he was tired of sequels, and he did another science fiction film, which was his father-son story, so he opted out," Emmerich said.

Another Smith franchise, "Bad Boys," has not been confirmed to star the actor either. Although Sony has released plans for two sequels scheduled in 2017 and 2019, another report from Hollywood Reporter reveals that it's still unclear whether Smith will be starring or simply producing the highly anticipated sequels.

Seeing new faces in his long-time franchises might take some getting used to, but fans of Smith will be able to enjoy the actor in his other high-profile projects including the upcoming NFL drama "Concussion" out on Dec. 25.