There’s nothing audiences enjoy more than a cliffhanger or sneak preview at the end of an already entertaining movie, and those who watched the recentTransformers: Rise of the Beastsreceived a bit of both. Audience members who stayed into the end credits were given a surprise treat: a hint at a potential crossover between Hasbro’s Transformers and G.I. Joe franchises. Many scoffed, and a few cheered, which mostly represents the spectrum of reactions one may have at Hollywood’s repeated attempts at seemingly easy cash grabs. The equation is simple: combine two popular existing properties and reap the benefits.
But the Transformers – G.I. Joe crossover film was not meant to be a contrived studio master plan as you would see inBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice(2016) or the entirety of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
According to The Hollywood Reporter’s Brian Davids, the idea actually references “a four-issue comic book series from 1987 calledG.I. Joe and the Transformers” and was meant to allow for main character Noah Diaz (Anthony Ramos) to “get a job and his brother’s healthcare taken care of.” Along with introducing characters from other Transformers stories, director Steven Caple, Jr has shown dedication towards advancing an established movie franchise while properly representing the children’s toy.
This leaves fans wondering whether this crossover project will work or not, and this has the potential of going one of two ways. Hopefully, the idea will lead to an expansive cinematic universe rivaling the MCU. However, it could also fall flat on its face and never see a second installment.
Best Case Scenario
In terms of memorable moments in recent blockbuster history, Robert Downey, Jr’s appearance as Tony Stark in the post-credit scene of 2008’sThe Incredible Hulkmarks one of the first attempts at building a comprehensive cinematic universe. Two B-movie crossover events inAlien vs Predator(2004) andFreddy vs. Jason(2003) provided a model that the MCU would eventually exploit.
Disney was already experimenting with the idea by creating Disney Channel crossover episodes for popular shows such asHannah Montana,Suite Life of Zack & Cody,Wizards of Waverly Place, andThat’s So Raven. Long story short, other studios became eager to keep up with the success of 2012’sThe Avengersand the growth of the Disney industrial complex.
Related:Every Marvel Crossover That Almost Happened Before the MCU, Ranked
Many have come to replicate the cinematic universe business model and achieve various levels of box office success. The DC Extended Universe producedWonder Woman(2017),Aquaman(2018), andZach Snyder’s Justice League(2021) and has garnered a soft reboot from MCU-native James Gunn as he introduces the revived DC Universe with 2023’sFlash.
Warner Brothers boast another popular universe in collaboration with Legendary Picturestitled MonsterVerse, which features Godzilla and King Kong in a series of explosive monster films. Like the MCU and DCEU, the MonsterVerse has sustained consistent high performance at the box office, thus promising more sequels in the near future. Another successful expanded universe is New Line Cinema’sThe ConjuringUniverse which starts with 2013’s horror flickThe Conjuring.
If the Transformers-G.I. Joe crossover was to work, it would mainly depend on the previous success of the Transformers live-action franchise. With seven movies released to date, Transformers repeatedly reaches lofty box office numbers because it can easily translate to the international market regardless of its director, star actor, or basic storyline. Expanding the popular franchise into Hasbro’s other known properties will hopefully revitalize the Transformer’s universe with a breath of fresh air after desperately searching for a new identity sans Michael Bay.
Worst Case Scenario
While Paramount and Hasbro are optimistically looking towards examples of success stories, it’s important to remember the few forgotten failures. Some come at the behest of penny-pinching studio leadership or misguided creators who are more obsessed with following a business model or pushing a political agenda rather than establishing unique creative opportunities for filmmakers or furthering the potential of a beloved universe.
Universal, in efforts to mimic the MCU, established alesser-known Dark Universewhich featured classic horror characters such as Frankenstein, Wolfman, Dracula, Van Helsing, The Mummy, Invisible Man, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Unfortunately for the studio, audiences saw through the empty attempts at world-building and the financial failure of 2017’sThe Mummyreboot ended the project before it could get off the ground. Guillermo del Toro,as reported by Indiewire, has expressed that “his one career regret was turning down Universal’s offer to helm the Dark Universe,” and the lack of care and cohesive vision served as the downfall of the unrealized project.
Related:How The Super Mario Bros. Movie Can Start the Nintendo Cinematic Universe
Similarly, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter saw a questionable reboot with 2016’sFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, written by the controversial J. K. Rowling herself. While the new franchise received three installments, the trilogy was marred by headlines of Rowling’s transphobic tweets and overshadowed by Johnny Depp’s very public court battle with Amber Heard. Despite widespread adoration of the beloved children’s fantasy book series, the slew of off-camera controversies following thethree films raised questionsabout whether they should’ve been made in the first place.
If misguided or mishandled, the Transformers – G.I. Joe crossover runs the risk of turning off fans and ultimately failing at the box office. Hasbro has already produced three G.I. Joe-based films, but a Transformers crossover was never premeditated. The hope is that Caple, Paramount, and Hasbro can come to a creative agreement where team continuity and creative freedom can generate fan excitement and long-term box-office success. And with the direction the franchise is headed right now, it’s safe to say they have all the building blocks to construct a whole new cinematic universe.
