Transformers: How Pete Davidson Convinced Rise Of The Beasts To Break The 4th Wall

Mirage (Pete Davidson) knows how to unleash a salvo of quips, which may be more dangerous than the Autobot's weaponry and hologram skills. Joking aside, "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" is the latest installment of the popular franchise, and this entry sees the introduction of the Maximals — Autobots that find comfort in the form of animals, as opposed to vehicles. Considering that Davidson is the voice of Mirage, it makes perfect sense why the Autobot can't help himself from poking fun and making jokes.

During one moment in "Rise of the Beasts," Mirage makes a comment about Mark Wahlberg's 1990s band, Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. Since this film is set in that time period, this might be considered a topical joke within the movie. Still, it seems as if breaking the fourth wall was almost impossible to avoid due to the hilarious antics of Davidson. 

Speaking with Gizmodo, "Rise of the Beasts" director Steven Chapel Jr. was asked if breaking the fourth wall was always the intention. "Yeah, we did," Chapel confirmed. "We wanted to break the fourth wall. In all fairness, Pete Davidson [the voice of Mirage] made that up in the booth and we laughed so hard we were like in tears. And we're like, 'There's no way we cannot use this.'"

In his interview with Gizmodo, Steven Chapel Jr. continued, saying that Pete Davidson brought so many '90s jokes to the set that the filmmakers knew they had to include them in the film. "We had ad-libbed a whole bunch of stuff," Chapel said. "One was on Beanie Babies. [Then] he was like, 'What about Marky Mark leaving the Funky Bunch?' And we were just in tears. And then we showed the studio and everybody loved it and were like, 'Let's just break the fourth wall and do it.'" 

For those that aren't exactly keen on industry terms, "breaking the fourth wall" usually means that a character makes a comment that is rooted in knowledge outside of their purview, or addresses the audience directly. In this case, the fourth wall itself refers to a theoretical invisible wall between the entertainment and viewers.

The above comment from the director of "Rise of the Beasts" also highlights the thought process Davidson brought to playing Mirage. In an interview with Cinema Blend, Davidson explained that he was channeling the Jim Carrey film "The Mask" and the character Bugs Bunny while portraying the character. This certainly explains why Mirage is always bucking authority and marching to the beat of his own drum. This also helps to illuminate why Mirage would make a comment about Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch in the first place.