The Hasbro Cinematic Universe hasn’t exactly taken off in the way that Paramount would have hoped, with both the Transformers and G.I. Joe franchises currently in the midst of a creative reshuffle. The Autobots and the Decepticons are getting rebooted from the ground up following the disappointing box office that greeted both Michael Bay’s The Last Knight and spinoff Bumbleebee, while the brains behind the Joes still haven’t moved forward on a sequel to 2013’s Retaliation, although origin story Snake Eyes drops later this year.
Two movies in a decade isn’t exactly a great return for a blockbuster action franchise, and the fact that neither of the G.I. Joe movies managed to crack $400 million globally has no doubt kicked it down a few pegs on Paramount’s list of priorities. As a spinoff to a series that was never particularly beloved in the first place, the studio won’t exactly be viewing Snake Eyes as the project to rejuvenate the brand, and in much the same way Retaliation was a soft reboot of Rise of Cobra, the proposed third installment is set to reset the franchise once again.
According to our sources – the same ones who told us that Lethal Weapon 5 was back on the table with Mel Gibson and Danny Glover and that Transformers is being rebooted, both of which were correct – Paramount are eying Mark Wahlberg to lead their G.I. Joe reboot as Duke, the role previously played by Channing Tatum. Obviously, Wahlberg has previous experience leading a Paramount/Hasbro franchise having headlined the final two Transformers movies after Shia LaBeouf’s departure, but with that timeline now set to be rebooted, the actor is technically free to lead the Joes if he accepts the offer.
Last we heard, the oddly-titled G.I. Joe: Ever Vigilant was still said to be in development as a sequel to Retaliation, but it seems the studio is now shifting gears and will be rebooting the franchise. Aside from Wahlberg’s involvement and the fact that Henry Golding’s Snake Eyes will be involved, too, we don’t have much more to share, but as soon as we get any further updates, we’ll be sure to let you know.
