Whatever Happened To That G.I. Joe Transformers Movie?

Remember getting your favorite Transformers and G.I. Joe action figures and having them slow motion smash into one another while bouncing off your sofa cushions? Well, Paramount is on course to make that a reality, albeit by trying to unify one mega franchise and one that's struggled in cinemas. The former began with the 2007 live-action "Transformers" movie, which spawning six follow-up films, contributing to the IP's collective $5 billion if you include both the animated 1986 movie and "Transformers One." Unfortunately though, for the other much loved Hasbro property Paramount has at their disposal, it hasn't been quite as easy.

Another icon of the '80s, G.I. Joe has seen three films since 2009, with only a combined box office of $712 million. Something about the All-American Hero didn't quite land with general audiences, which is why Paramount and Hasbro dared to tease a set-up in "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" for Duke and Cobra Commander to go to war with Optimus Prime and Megatron in a crossover. But how far along is this potentially massive movie, and what could it mean for both properties going forward? Well, to consider the future of the Joes and the Transformers, we need to look back at the history of both franchises to find what could be on the horizon.

While G.I. Joe and Transformers were both staples of '80s Saturday morning cartoons, it took the two going to print to face off against each other in an official crossover. The concept had been teased lightly on television, with Cobra Commander briefly appearing as a bad guy on "Transformers" Season 3 in November 1986 as "Old Snake," with only a slight hint at his history with the Joes, with the Autobots turning into humans (which could make for an interesting film idea). Prior to this, the two worlds collided in a four-issue mini series titled "G.I. Joe and the Transformers," sparking a scuffle that would be repeated for years to come.

Sometimes, both respective sides of good and evil either allied or opposed each other through their get-togethers, with the Transformers facing off against the Joes and COBRA more than anything. There were 14 separate occasions when both crossed over in the comics, but it wasn't until 2023 when it was teased they might finally face each other on-screen in a live-action adaptation. For casual audiences, it was a detail that might've been easily overlooked, but for die-hard fans of both franchises, all it took was a business card for them to have a collective meltdown and get excited for the bombastic things to come.

While it's not Samuel L. Jackson appearing in Tony Stark's living room (which still stands as one of the best end credit scenes ever), "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" teases the long-anticipated arrival of G.I. Joe into the world of Transformers by way of the film's human hero getting an offer he can't refuse. At the end of "Rise of the Beasts," Noah (Anthony Ramos) is invited to an interview at a shipping company that really is more than meets the eye. Michael Kelly's Agent Burke reveals that he knows about recent events involving Unicron, Scourge, and Noah's larger-than-life pals of the both vehicular and animal-like nature.

From there, a door opened to a world that looked like a garage or base of operations that even Fast and the Furious character Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell) would be jealous of. While there are no signs of shape-shifting robots, it suggests that Ramos' character might be reunited with them in the future, and this time he'll have the backup of the Joes to help him. Just where that will happen is unknown, though, as the Transformers timeline is a convoluted one. It might also explain why the filmmakers behind the event film say it won't be your typical crossover spectacular.

Those looking forward to Starscream and Snake Eyes sharing the same atmosphere can rest assured in the knowledge that their Saturday morning dreams will be coming true ... eventually. Speaking to Screen Rant, producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura revealed that the project might not line up with your typical big-screen crossover, and that some important elements are being considered to ensure they get things just right before blowing them to smithereens in slow-motion on-screen.

"I hesitate using the word 'crossover' because I think people think different things about what that means. For me, what it means is the Joes are going to be in the Transformers world and be present," explained Bonaventura. "I think every movie is sort of a balancing act of 'How much do you have this? And in this movie, how funny can we be? How serious? How do you cross that line? How do you hide the villain?'"

When it comes to marking calendars for when giant robots will scrap with some smaller world-saving soldiers, the producer kept quiet about potential release dates. "All those sort of balancing things that you're doing. We're still in the early process, in a way, of trying to figure out the balance." For now, we'll just have to wait and see when Autobots roll out alongside Snake Eyes and company and action figures get smashed together in the most artistic way possible.