If you read through the Transformers: Rise of the Beasts reviews that dropped this morning, you might have noticed a few critics alluding to an ending that sets the stage for a future crossover event.
At first glance, we wondered if they might be hinting at the Bumblebee franchise seeing as that never got a sequel. The reality, however, is far more exciting.
In the closing moments of Rise of the Beasts, Anthony Ramos' Noah, having helped save the day, goes for a job interview for what he thinks is a simple security gig.
The interview begins and it quickly becomes clear that this isn't a normal conversation. The interviewer knows Noah saved the world and promises him that his brother's medical bills will be dealt with as a means of thanking him. Now, though, he needs Noah to step up and join his group because they're in the middle of a war.
He hands him a business card and moves a plaque on the wall to reveal a secret base. Noah looks down at the card and it simply says "G.I. Joe."
Yes, we're finally getting a crossover between that toy franchise and Transformers, something fans have spent years dreaming of. It's unclear what threat will lead to the military group and Autobots fighting side-by-side, but this crossover is clearly starting to take shape at Paramount Pictures.
2021's Snake Eyes was a flop, and the prior G.I. Joe movies failed to impress fans and critics alike. With that in mind, throwing those characters into an adventure alongside Optimus Prime and company is arguably the best way to bring that struggling property to a place where it can find box office success.
Any ideas the studio likely had for G.I. Joe must have gone out the window when Snake Eyes bombed and it would be an uphill battle to get people back into theaters to watch any of those characters take centre stage. However, this crossover may well lead to an eventual revival outside of Transformers.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is set to be released in U.S. theatres on June 9, but arrives in the UK slightly earlier on June 8.