Despite being one of the most successful movie franchises in over the last decade, the Transformers films have been increasingly criticized over the last few releases. But after rumors surfaced of an impending reboot, one Hasbro executive cautioned fans to temper their expectations.
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During the Transformers presentation at the New York Toy Fair, Hasbro’s brand manager for the robots in disguise John Warden didn’t quite issue a denial, but it was pretty close, according to Bleeding Cool.
When asked about the possible reboot after the Bumblebee solo movie, Warden simply said, “Don’t believe what you hear, don’t worry.”
This might be met with a mixed reception among fans, as some might believe a reboot is necessary for the franchise to fulfill its potential on the big screen.
But for fans of the Michael Bay-helmed franchise and the impending expansion with its first full-fledged spinoff, this could be seen as good news.
The rumor mill was ignited after a Transformers fan site issued a report from a Hasbro investors meeting, stating that the company announced a full-blown reboot was in the works after Bumblebee released in theaters this December.
Though there are no Transformers movies on the release calendar after Bumblebee, and plans seem to have been halted after Bay put together a huge writers room to help flesh out the franchise’s cinematic universe ahead of Transformers: The Last Knight, that doesn’t mean Hasbro is abandoning their presence in movie theaters.
The toy company currently has four different films on the docket over the next three years, including G.I. Joe, Micronauts, Dungeons & Dragons, and an untitled film for 2021. While these are very diverse properties, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the company try and get into the shared movie action.
There were also rumors of the third G.I. Joe movie potentially crossing over with Transformers, building to an event crossover not unlike Marvel Studios is used to. There is a precedent for the two properties to merge. There is a recent crossover comic from IDW that received critical acclaim.
However, instead of a full-fledged reboot, we might see a revitalization effort attempt to bring back to relevancy with new creative leads, building off of what came before but keeping it fresh for fans who might not be the die-hard toy collectors of the ’80s.
It remains to be seen what will happen with Transformers, but fans can take solace in knowing that Hasbro and Paramount Pictures aren’t likely to let the franchise fall to the wayside.
Bumblebee premieres in theaters on December 21st.
(h/t Bleeding Cool)
