Transformers: Rise of the Beasts delivered several exciting surprises to the delight of franchise fans upon debut. One major surprise Rise of the Beasts had in its arsenal was an unexpected crossover with GI Joe at the end of the movie. But how unexpected was the crossover really? Well, the success of both franchises made this fusion of nostalgic powerhouses on the big screen feel like an eventuality. As fans from both camps eagerly awaited this crossover, the promise of high-octane action and compelling storytelling was undeniably tantalizing. The introduction of GI Joe brings a new dynamic to the Transformers universe.
Rise of the Beasts set the stage for an epic battle between Optimus Prime’s Autobots and Optimus Primal’s Maximals against Scourge, a Transformer who serves as the herald of the all-powerful, world-devouring Unicron. Notably, this is Unicron’s first live-action appearance, a character who gained fame in the 1986 animated film The Transformers: The Movie and was later referenced in 2017’s Transformers: The Last Knight. With Scourge defeated, it is worth looking at what’s next for the Transformers, and how GI Joe fits into the grand scheme of things.
This Is Not The First Transformers & GI Joe Crossover
Indeed, this is not the first time that the Transformers and GI Joe franchises have crossed paths. Their history of crossovers extends back nearly 40 years, with the first notable interaction occurring in a four-part limited series from Marvel Comics in 1986 titled GI Joe and the Transformers. This initial crossover marked the beginning of numerous others, with significant ones executed by Marvel in 1993, Devil’s Due Publishing in the mid-2000s, and IDW Publishing from 2014-2017. Similarly, these franchises have also made references to each other in their animated shows, with Transformers: Rise of the Beasts taking things a step further as fans see a character affiliated with GI Joe make an appearance, suggesting a potential future crossover in film.
Is Hasbro Building a Shared Cinematic Universe?
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts might be the start of a big shared movie world by Hasbro. This could lead to more Hasbro IPs joining in, but it mostly depends on how well this movie does in the theaters. If the movie does well, Paramount, the movie company, might decide to make more movies with different Hasbro characters. Now that Transformers and GI Joe are in the same movie universe, they could add more Hasbro characters like M.A.S.K., Micronauts, and Rom the Spaceknight. Paramount had thought about doing this back in 2015 and even had a group of writers working on the idea. But nothing came out of it, and it looked like Transformers might stay on its own. With GI Joe’s cameo in Rise of the Beasts, perhaps things are looking more optimistic.
Is The GI Joe Franchise Getting a New Sequel or Reboot?
The GI Joe franchise is looking towards a new movie. Despite past struggles and a series of unsuccessful big-screen adaptations, including a 2021 reboot titled Snake Eyes, there has been ongoing discussions about a new addition to the franchise. The movie Snake Eyes was intended to usher in a new phase of G.I. Joe films, and another film, G.I. Joe: Ever Vigilant, had been delayed to make way for it. However, with the mixed results of the reboot and the status of Ever Vigilant still uncertain, there had been some speculation about whether the franchise might be better suited for a return to television.
In 2021, Hasbro and Paramount had a television series in the works focused on the character Lady Jaye, which was intended to connect back to the broader world established in the films. However, these plans did not materialize. According to Lorenzo di Bonaventura, the producer of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, Paramount is currently focusing on bringing GI Joe back in some form as a movie, possibly using material written for their pilot to inform a future film. Di Bonaventura explained that they had developed a pilot with Amazon before the launch of Paramount+, but it didn’t work out. While the timeline for the next GI Joe movie is unclear, active discussions are happening, and it seems likely that we will see a new movie in the franchise in the future.
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