The article contains MAJOR spoilers for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.Transformers-G.I. Joe movie crossover in the near future.
While speaking with Variety, director Steven Caple Jr. and producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura explained the crossover idea. They believe this concept offers an opportunity for the franchise to branch in a new and unexpected direction. Check out their quotes below:
Di Bonaventura: “Noah goes from somebody who cannot get a job, to a guy who gets the greatest job ever. It really felt organic to put it in here because you could relate it to the story. It didn’t feel like we were being cynical and like, ‘Good news, we could just jam G.I. Joes in here.’ The fans want a lot of things; if we do it and we don’t figure it out well, they’re going to be disappointed. It took us a while to figure out the Maximals, and now we have the hint of how to begin the Joes story.”
Caple Jr.: " I was behind the directing chair, and the kid in me was like, ‘What do I want to see next? How could we have a sense of direction as to what’s going to happen?' As the battle gets bigger, we can expand the universe and we might need other entities and groups. The Joes are just really cool and I would love to see what I could do with them. There are sections of the Joes that haven’t been utilized and characters that have never been touched, and I’m excited about that. I will say this about what’s next: We have spent a lot of time on Earth and I’m curious as to what else is out there."
Di Bonaventura: “How could they possibly not be on the same side? We don’t know, that is the truth. What we expect is there’s going to be some allegiance and they’re going to go on some kind of mission together. We have to figure both those things out.”
Why Introducing G.I. Joe To Transformers Is The Right Idea
Conveniently, Transformers and G.I. Joe toys are distributed by the same company, Hasbros, which makes the crossover sensical. However, Rise of the Beasts is not the first team-up for both series, as they have enjoyed several in comic books. In most cases, G.I. Joe teams up with the Autobots against the Decepticons. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts takes that crossover to another level by taking the time to build a strong connection between Noah and the Transformers before he s the G.I. Joes.
There are some potential downsides to the crossover. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts occurs long before any of its follow-up movies, making the absence of the pre-existing G.I. Joes confusing. It also raises confusion about G.I. Joe's truancy if they were present in the Transformers universe this whole time. Despite the canonical issues, future movies could address the team's absence as a soft retcon and fill in the gaps if needed to establish their existence in the universe.
The G.I. Joe team also provides a chance for the franchise to add new layers to its universe. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' ending delivers the opportunity for fresh storylines that can deepen Noah's arc alongside the Autobots. The Transformers franchise has struggled with bringing the human perspective to the story, but adding an element of G.I. Joe makes Noah feel more relevant, which will be necessary for any movie that comes after Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.
Source: Variety
