Update: Michael Bay has updated his site regarding this latest rumor and revealed the following: "The Mark Wahlberg T4 rumor is just a rumor. Mark and I are talking about another film project." So let speculation about one project end, and speculation about another project begin.
Just a couple of days ago, it was revealed that Hasbro posted their latest sales records, and earnings were down compared to last year. The culprit? Sales of "Transformers" toys had declined among other things. And while a new movie guarantees an uptick in toy sales, it's also about getting that core audience to care with an effort that will also appeal to those who may not know their Autobots from Decepticons. And while the first three movies in the franchise were massively successful, each making more than the last, it appears that Michael Bay and co. what to take their game even higher, courting a bonafide star to possibly lead the next installment.
Twitch reports that Bay is having "early conversations" with his "Pain And Gain" star Mark Wahlberg to appear in "Transformers 4." Again, we have to caution it's super early and may not pan out, but it does seem to indicate that the studio and toymaker want a bigger name than Shia LaBeouf (who has since exited the series anyway). But what about those rumors a few days ago that a female lead was being sought? Well, apparently the script by Ehren Kruger will focus on an adult and his teenage child, with latter being groomed to take over the series. Could that be where the female lead comes in? Lord know, you can sell more toys if girls want to buy them too.
But the ultimate question is: would Wahlberg even be interested? We don't see why not. Oddly enough, despite being very successful, Wahlberg hasn't had a franchise picture in years (you could probably have to go to "Max Payne" which was terrible, kiboshing that for a potential series). It may be one of the few feathers left to put in his already full cap. But then again, coming into a series on its fourth movie (even if it's positioned as a reboot or reinvention or whatever) may not be too appealing for an actor used to toplining his own pictures. And even more, he may not be eager to do it if the plan is write him out anyway. So we'll see how this goes…
Anyway, do you like Wahlberg for "Transformers 4"? Any else you'd like to see lead the movie? Let us know below. "Transformers 4" happens on June 29, 2014.
