[Fred Broca]

JULY 28, 2023 BY RICKY CHURCH

With Transformers: Rise of the Beasts out on digital and now streaming on Paramount+, eyes are on the future of the franchise as a potential crossover between Transformers and G.I. JOE could be in the works after the tease at the end of the latest Transformers film.

Rather than play out in a post-credits scene, the final scene of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts saw Anthony Ramos (Noah Diaz,) meeting with Michael Kelly's mysterious Agent Burke for a job interview that was actually a recruitment pitch for Noah to join the G.I. JOEs in their fight to protect the world from unknown enemies and further transformers. However, this tease to a team-up between the Autobots and JOEs almost never happened due to former Transformers director Michael Bay's reluctance.

In a piece from Variety, Paramount CEO Brian Robbins described how his thought of having the two franchises exist within the same onscreen universe might provide both with a jolt in the arm that would attract new viewers and the difficulties of convincing Transformers and G.I. JOE owner Hasbro as well as Transformers producers Steven Spielberg and Michael Bay to let them plant the crossover tease.

Bay was seemingly reluctant do so as Variety claims he felt merging the franchises would cheapen the previous Transformers films, all of which with the exception of Bumblebee and Rise of the Beasts he directed. I called him 50 times, Robbins said of his efforts to convince Bay of the shared universe. I would not let him off the hook. And when he finally stopped dodging my calls, we got him to sign off.

While a sequel to Transformers: Rise of the Beasts or a Transformers/G.I. Joe crossover has not been greenlit, it hasn?t stopped producer Lorenzo Di Bonaventura describing what their team-up could look like and build to an actual crossover rather than quickly bring their worlds together in the next film. https://www.flickeringmyth.com/2023/...sWEVxh7tgYIXKU

[Griff]

I wish they had nixed the whole gi joe in tf bayverese. No good can come of this.

[Ford]

I like Bay, and his first and third Transformers movies were fun. But his last two with Wahlberg were among the worst movies that I've ever seen. Bumblebee and Rise of the Beasts have been good resets. So his input or approval should no longer be needed.

[GoodGuy9]

I'm guessing Paramount's thinking like Hasbro is with o-ring that GIJoe is only going to profit mainstream by having Transformers support it.

[scruffyronin]

Bay's military action is always superb. I'd support this. Not expecting brilliant writing. But whatever they do that ends up with more toys to buy. Wish they'd be 4", though unlikely as it's not the current trend.

[AWOL]

They'd be better-off asking Bay to direct a GI Joe movie.

[Cobra Agent 66]

I never liked Transformers in my GI Joe. They mesh about as well as Harry Potter and Star Trek.

[IzzyTipsy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AWOL

They'd be better-off asking Bay to direct a GI Joe movie.

This would actually be the better option

[TheOverlordCorp]

Bay has a point. The TF franchise built a lot of lore and back story just for another franchise to say, "We've been here all along, new hero." Seems like introducing The Eternals after all The Avengers movies. The world was falling apart and G.I. Joe stayed out of the fight.

[Ford]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheOverlordCorp

Bay has a point. The TF franchise built a lot of lore and back story just for another franchise to say, "We've been here all along, new hero." Seems like introducing The Eternals after all The Avengers movies. The world was falling apart and G.I. Joe stayed out of the fight.

But their backstory is so convoluted now that introducing G.I. Joe shouldn't matter. Supposedly Bumblebee wasn't a reboot, but now in Rise of the Beasts Unicron is coming to devour Earth, but in The Last Knight, Unicron is Earth. It's big robots fighting. Tossing in some guys in chrome masks, clones and ninjas isn't going to dilute it any.