Summary

• Transformers: Rise of the Beasts marks the highly anticipated crossover between the Transformers and G.I. Joe franchises.
• Michael Kelly plays the role of Agent Burke in the film, hinting at his continued presence in future installments.
• Agent Burke is an original character created for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, but there are hints that his character may evolve into a more significant G.I. Joe character in the future.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts ends with the game-changing revelation of a G.I. Joe crossover, yet who is Agent Burke, the man who recruited Anthony Ramos' Noah Diaz into the organization? Given that both G.I. Joe and Transformers are both toy lines originally produced by Hasbro, the concept of a crossover between the two franchises in live-action has been long considered, especially given the interactions between the two factions in the comics. This began with the release of G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra, the live-action film based on the franchise released in 2009.

This film spawned the sequel G.I. Joe: Retaliation in 2013, with both films releasing when Michael Bay's live-action Transformers franchise was at its peak. As such, the theories around a G.I. Joe and Transformers crossover have been prevalent in modern Hollywood. With Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' ending, the theories finally become reality with the character of Noah Diaz being recruited by the organization after his journey with the titular Cybertronians. However, the appearance of a character named Agent Burke in Rise of the Beasts led to many questions about who he is, his role in G.I. Joe, and what his inclusion means for the franchise's future.

Michael Kelly Plays Agent Burke In Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

Firstly, one of the more straightforward questions to answer regarding Agent Burke in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is who plays the character. Michael Kelly brings Agent Burke to life in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, in a small cameo role in which Burke interviews Noah Diaz for a seemingly normal occupation before revealing the true name of his company as G.I. Joe. Kelly is known for his role in Amazon Prime's Jack Ryan, in which he played CIA Agent Mike November in seasons 2 through 4.

Michael Kelly is perhaps best known for his role on Netflix's House of Cards. Kelly played the role of Douglas Stamper in the drama series, the chief of staff and confidant of Kevin Spacey's Francis J. Underwood. Kelly received critical acclaim for his performance in House of Cards, even being nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding ing Actor in a Drama Series on four separate occasions. As evident, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts has a great actor in Kelly for Agent Burke, hinting at his continued future in the franchise so as to not waste his obvious talents.

Agent Burke Is An Original G.I. Joe Character (But That Could Change)

When concerning the character himself, it is worth exploring who Agent Burke is within the franchise. Interestingly, Agent Burke is an original character created for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. There has never been a record of a character named Agent Burke in the G.I. Joe franchise, likely stemming from Paramount fearing Rise of the Beasts would not perform well enough to warrant a sequel and capitalize on the G.I. Joe tease. If Agent Burke had instead been an established G.I. Joe character that audiences recognized, yet the film did not earn enough to continue the series, it would have made the disappointment worse.

As a result, Agent Burke was a G.I. Joe operative created for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. However, it is worth noting that this could change. When asked about Agent Burke in Transformers and G.I. Joe's future, Rise of the Beasts director Steven Caple Jr. and producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura had some interesting comments on the matter (via Entertainment Weekly). When concerning Agent Burke, Bonaventura and Caple had this to say:

Bonaventura: "The idea of trying to do the whole Joe world at the same time is a little daunting. This is a way to bring them into our world, remind people of who they are, and they'll have a role in the plot."

Caple Jr.: "[Burke's name is] what we're gonna be playing with in the future. But as of right now, it's Agent Burke. It's a little generic, and it's done on purpose a bit. It's all part of the facade. He might grow into someone else. I'm still trying to figure out what to do exactly with that character. I have some ideas, but the way I collaborate would be me doing research, me talking to Hasbro, and talking to Michael Kelly and seeing where we could take him."

These comments, especially from Caple Jr., tease big things for Kelly's Agent Burke in the future. As teased by the Transformers: Rise of the Beasts director, Burke could change and become another character, dropping the facade he presented in the scene with Noah Diaz. This could potentially lead to the reveal that Agent Burke is a much more prominent G.I. Joe character. One possibility could be General Joseph Colton, the original G.I. Joe and leader of the team. This would leave room for the more combat-centric characters to be introduced, while Kelly returns as the leader of the organization.

Given Kelly's somewhat older age, a character like Joseph Colton would work for a Transformers 7 sequel. Another potential G.I. Joe character that Kelly's Burke could become is General Flagg. In G.I. Joe lore, General Flagg was responsible for creating the Special Counter-Terrorist Group Delta in response to rising terrorist threats including the enemy organization of G.I. Joe, Cobra. Flagg named the team G.I. Joe in honor of the original team run by the aforementioned General Colton.

Flagg led the team, albeit in a more advisory capacity, bestowing the role of field leader to Clayton Abernathy/"Hawk." This advisory role would certainly suit Michael Kelly's Agent Burke well and would explain why he is responsible for recruitment as seen in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. This would also leave room for characters like Noah Diaz and other well-known G.I. Joe characters to fight alongside the Autobots in future projects. Regardless, it is clear Caple Jr. has plans for Burke's future, which could lead him to play a much bigger role in the franchise's further installments.

What Agent Burke's Role In Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Means For The Future

The most obvious outcome of Agent Burke's role in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is a crossover between G.I. Joe and the Transformers franchise. Paramount has already confirmed Transformers 8 and 9 with both films serving as the culmination of a trilogy that began with Rise of the Beasts. These two movies will likely introduce more G.I. Joe characters and elements, especially given Anthony Ramos is expected to return as Noah Diaz. Diaz could serve as the mediator between the Autobots and G.I. Joe operatives, with Agent Burke collaborating with Optimus Prime and Optimus Primal.

When Will Michael Kelly Return As Agent Burke?

Finally, it is highly likely that Michael Kelly will return as Agent Burke in Transformers 8. The above interview with Bonaventura and Caple Jr. with EW seems to hint at this, with the former stating:

"We're introducing Joe characters into the world that we're dealing with, on whatever our characters are gonna go do. We're also not through with the Maximals, so I imagine in the next movie we'll have Maximals, Autobots, and Joes."

These comments from Bonaventura indicate that the next Transformers movie will capitalize on the crossover teased at the end of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. With Bonaventura himself confirming that the Maximals, Autobots, and Joes will team up in the next movie, it is hard to imagine Agent Burke does not return. Taking into Caple Jr.'s comments about Burke growing into something larger in the future, it can be assumed that the character returns in the sequel to Transformers: Rise of the Beasts where he can fully integrate the G.I. Joe franchise with the world of the Autobots.