Michael Bay previously had good reason to be concerned about the potential GI Joe and Transformers crossover on the big screen, but the upcoming show in the franchise seems to have solved the issue.
The Michael Bay movies in the Transformers franchise may not have earned a lot of acclaim. However, the director still deserves credit for giving the franchise new life with blockbuster takes on the original toy line and cartoons. Owing to this, even his opinions on the franchise’s future creative directions deserve to be considered.
Interestingly, Bay also had some issues with the potential GI Joe and Transformers crossover set up by Transformers: Rise of the Beasts ending. From the looks of it, though, the next show in the franchise has already resolved Bay’s concerns in more ways than one.
Transformers & GI Joe’s Upcoming Show Resolves Michael Bay’s Franchise Concern
Optimus Prime looking solemn holding the Matrix of Leadership in Transformers One
As reports confirm (via GeekyTyrant), Michael Bay was initially apprehensive about approving the GI Joe and Transformers crossover from his end. He was double-minded about the franchise’s next step because he felt it would “cheapen” the franchise. In hindsight, his concerns made a lot of sense.
Most Transformers movies, so far, have been incredibly overcrowded with the titular Transformers characters from both the Decepticon and Autobot teams. Owing to this, human characters have always felt like an afterthought. Adding GI Joes to the mix could potentially further dilute the franchise’s storytelling and undermine everything that has happened so far.
Fortunately, the GI Joe and Transformers crossover is not happening on the big screen yet. For now, Hasbro is working on a crossover animated show, which will have its own standalone story and have nothing to do with the parent movie series. Because of its television format, the upcoming series will have a lot more time to develop characters from both toy brands.
At the same time, not tying into the live-action movies also allows it to build its own identity without ruining or diminishing the impact of the stories that have already been told.
The Upcoming Series Will Prepare Viewers For A Potential Live-Action Crossover
Optimus Prime poses heroically in Transformers Rise of the Beasts
For a long time, rumors surrounding the potential live-action collaboration between Transformers and GI Joe suggested that the flywheels of its production were moving forward. Some reports even revealed that Chris Hemsworth was being considered for a role in the movie. However, now, it seems likely that the live-action crossover has been severely delayed or even cancelled.
If it still sees the light of day, though, the upcoming show could be the perfect testing ground for it to see what could potentially work in a story that features two massive toy franchises. The Transformers franchise is gradually sailing away from how Michael Bay envisioned it, but only time will tell whether that will be a good thing.