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Mark Wahlberg, who became the highest-paid actor in 2017 after signing up for theTransformerslive-action film franchise, has remained extremely vocal about dropping from the $4.8 billion franchise, giving all sorts of superficial reasons, one being his long hair in theTransformers: Age of ExtinctionandTransformers: The Last Knight.
Keeping aside several other reasons for his absence fromTransformers: Rise of the Beasts,one cannot ignore the fact that its predecessor turned out to be a box office disaster, grossing only $605 million worldwide against a production budget between $217–260 million. Paramount and Hasbro faced an estimated loss of over $100 million.
Mark Wahlberg Had Superficial Reasons For His Departure
If there is one actor who did justice to the Michael Bay-directedTransformersfranchise, it’s none other thanShia LaBeouf. The original movie was so successful that it inspired four sequels. AfterMark Wahlbergreplaced the actor, the franchise has gone through a roller coaster ride.
Also Read:“I hadn’t really seen much of his previous work”: Leonardo DiCaprio Regretted Letting Arch-Enemy Mark Wahlberg Steal $43M Movie That Got 3 Oscar Nominations
Walhberg, however, didn’t hang for a full trilogy as he expressed his desire to leave the franchise after the fifth installment,Transformers: The Last Knight.During an appearance on theGraham Norton Show, thePain & Gainactor revealed:
“This is the last one. This is it — so I can get my life back! Long hair is the worst thing ever. I look like my mum in the ’70s — it’s just really bad.”
While Wahlberg condemned the $4.8 billion franchise for its reputation of keeping some“pretty hard demands”(which remains true), it is also true that Wahlberg’sTransformers: The Last Knightwas a major disaster, and was termed as a“cacophonous and thinly plotted”movie by critics.
Mark Wahlberg may have had his reasons for leaving a lucrative franchise, but a logical explanation for his absence from the upcoming movie,Transformers: Rise of the Beastsalso rests in the franchise’s decision to reflect a younger and more diverse franchise. It is fair to acknowledge that the decision to not bring theBoogie Nightsstar is way bigger than the actor himself.
Transformers: Rise of the BeastsReflected A Younger And Diverse Franchise
The upcoming Steven Caple Jr.-directed,Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,is a result of“Paramount’s need to push the franchise in a new direction.”Even though a sixth installment sounds like a bad idea, theTransformersfranchise is dedicated to“spinning its wheels creatively.”
Reportedly,Transformers: Rise of the Beasts revolves around the events of 1994,which means Cade Yeager’s presence makes no sense (his character still has 24 years until his encounter with Optimus Prime).
Also Read:“They made a very convincing hot couple”: Shia LaBeouf Nearly Replaced Armie Hammer in $43M Oscar Nominated Movie, Got Rejected for Bad Publicity
Another reason for not enrolling Wahlberg is that the franchise is dedicated to portraying a“younger and diverse” cast, especially after the box office disaster with the last installment. While fans praised the youthfulness ofTravis Knight’sBumblebee, theTransformersfranchise finds it an effective approach to restoring the lost interest.
Transformers: Rise of the Beastsis scheduled to release on August 03, 2025, and boasts an ensemble cast likePete Davidson(Mirage), Anthony Ramos (Noah Diaz), Peter Cullen (Optimus Prime), and Liza Koshy (Arcee).
Mark Wahlberg’s box office disaster,Transformers: The Last Knight(2017) is available for streaming on Netflix.
Also Read:“I know that if anyone like them came near my kids, I’d kill them”: Mark Wahlberg Went Through Emotional Torture During His $94 Million Movie
Source:Collider
Mallika Singh
Articles Published :204
I am Mallika Singh, a lawyer and writer by profession. Writing gives me a sense of freedom and independence. I am a keen observer and an ardent reader. When not at work, you can find me at the stable. Horse riding is another passion that keeps me going.
