With the release of the Independence Day: Resurgence trailer (watch here), many people are wondering if we’re going to see a cameo from Will Smith and his character Col. Steven Hiller. Alas, that’s not going to happen and the reason for this has been revealed via the website WarOf1996.com. If you don’t want this ruined, don’t read below the video.

So, the above mentioned website is basically a timeline of events that have occurred between 1996, when the aliens arrived and attacked Earth, and the second invasion, which will be shown in summer of 2016. In the timeline, there is a specific piece dedicated to Col. Hiller which explains that he died while test piloting the first “alien hybrid fighter”.

The full explanation reads:

While test piloting the ESD’s [Earth Space Defense] first alien hybrid fighter, an unknown malfunction causes the untimely death of Col. Hiller. Hiller’s valor in the War of 96 made him a beloved global icon whose selfless assault against the alien mothership lead [sic] directly to the enemy’s defeat. He is survived by his wife Jasmine and son Dylan.

While the mystery may have been answered here, I’m not 100% convinced that a cameo isn’t still out of the realm of possibility. The whole movie is about how Earth and humanity begin using alien technology to better their defenses. Perhaps they also found medical and other uses as well? Maybe Hiller is alive because of this? Note, none of this is official or even rumors. It’s just my own personal crazy mind spinning in crazy ways.