But Murphy made his greatest mark in movies, where he reached new heights, for comedians and Black performers, of popularity and bankability. All of which is to say that American pop culture looked different after Eddie Murphy came along. Now he’s returning to the character that sent his career into the stratosphere with “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” which comes to Netflix on July 3. It arrives 40 years after the first film in the series, in which Murphy stars as the wisecracking detective Axel Foley. In recent years, Murphy has been a somewhat enigmatic offscreen presence, but as I found out over the course of our two long conversations in the spring, he can be open and relaxed.

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Persons: Murphy, ”, Murphy virtuosically, Eddie Murphy, he’s, Axel F, Axel Foley Organizations: Beverly Hills, Netflix Locations: Beverly