Movies based on toys are hardly anything new. Long before Barbie became the highest-grossing movie of the year in 2023, numerous movie franchises were inspired by toy lines and went on to find success, from the innumerable LEGO movies and shows that continue to be put out year after year to this year’s Masters of the Universe. However, certain toy-inspired franchises are much more prominent than others, and high on that list are both G.I. Joe and Transformers, each named for their respective products of origin. Both have also existed for decades now and have therefore built up quite a fanbase, which meant that there was significant excitement about the prospect of a G.I. Joe and Transformers crossover movie—something that was previously said to be in the works.
Unfortunately, that seems to have just changed, in a bit of bad news for fans of either (or both) franchise. Earlier today, Deadline reported that Bradley Cooper has been cast to play the role of Duke in the next G.I. Joe movie. In addition to that news, the same article stated, “The untitled G.I. Joe pic is produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Mark Vahradian, and Zev Foreman for Hasbro Entertainment. Plot details are under wraps, but it will be a reimagining of the franchise. It also will be uncoupled from a previous crossover film with Transformers that is no longer in development.” This comes after 2023’s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts concluded with a cliffhanger that saw protagonist Noah Diaz being recruited into the G.I. Joe organization—a cliffhanger that, unfortunately, it seems we now may never see through to its conclusion.
There will surely be those who are disappointed by this news, and it would have been interesting to see what this crossover would have looked like, but ultimately, it might be for the best that it was discarded. For one, Paramount is going through quite a bit right now, and a project of this scale very well might not have been given the attention it would have warranted, especially if it was going to be good. In addition to that, though, both franchises are in a bit of a precarious position right now. G.I. Joe is effectively attempting to relaunch, and this crossover could have put that into jeopardy, particularly if it proved to be a disappointment.
For Transformers, too, this is a bit of a difficult period, as the movies haven’t been performing terribly well over the last several years. Rise of the Beasts, for example, currently has a 51% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, and Transformers: Dark of the Moon is considerably worse at 35%. It’s also worth noting that the franchise lost one of its greats just recently, as legendary Optimus Prime voice actor Peter Cullen passed away this August. Of course, the franchise will no doubt recast the role, but those are tough shoes to fill. At present, it seems they will now have more time to fill them, should they choose to do so.
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