Transformers
upcoming crossover with G.I. Joe has some huge hurdles to overcome that have only been made more obvious after recent successes. While the Michael Bay directed films started out strong, and they delivered some exciting explosions and thrills for the Transformers, the success of these movies has been in a steady decline. It was always an ambitious endeavor to create a live-action franchise that revolved around giant transforming robots, but with some special effects, and ambitious storylines, the movies did have some really great moments throughout.

But as the series continued, and the characters came and went, things started to get a little stale. With this, the box office earnings for the films shrunk from $1.1 billion on two of the highest grossing films down to an average of roughly $400 million for the latest releases. And while the box office was healthy, the reviews were in freefall. But the upcoming film looks set to continue the trend that has contributed to this decline, and right on the heels of a critically acclaimed success that broke the mold for the franchise after nearly 20 years.

Transformers & G.I. Joe Will Have To Make Humans The Main Characters

The Crossover Only Works By Highlighting Human Characters

As expected, a crossover movie between the Transformers and G.I. Joe’s will certainly contain a human element. Despite the alien robots’ presence, G.I. Joe’s are human soldiers, who are part of a highly trained group of elite forces. A crossover will certainly prove interesting, and it provides an opportunity for Hasbro to highlight two of their brands and sell more toys across both areas, but the G.I. Joe movies have not performed all that well. Despite this, every live-action Transformers movie has put humans at the heart of the story, and made the robots into side-characters.

From a technical point of view, it makes sense, because it’s easier to work with, record, and interact with another human person. Bringing the Autobots and Decepticons to the big screen requires considerably more effort. And these limitations of the live-action format make it simpler to just put the focus on the humans instead. However, putting too much attention on the humans and leaving the Transformers in the background could be a grave mistake if the previous films are anything to go by.

Transformers’ Live-Action Movies Have Focused Too Much On Human Characters

The Human Companions Take Center Stage In Transformers Movies

The problem is that when people come to see a Transformers movie, it should be a movie about the Transformers, starring the robots front and center. Some of the entries in the series have done a better job than others, but there is a real tangible feeling that the movies always fall back on the human characters, and tend to push the robots out of the core story. Sam Witwicky became the protagonist of the first Transformers movie in 2007, and instead of getting tangled up in the Transformers business, the film put the spotlight on Sam as his life was upended by the alien invasion.

Then, in Bumblebee, despite having a Transformers name in the тιтle, the movie was about a young girl named Charlie. Bumblebee was featured prominently, but there is no denying that the movie’s approach to the story came through the human protagonist. And while it’s easy to say that this is probably because audiences won’t engage or connect with giant robots who transform into cars, the overwhelming and enduring success of the franchise in various other mediums says otherwise. From cartoons, to animated movies, audiences love the Transformers, and they don’t need a pure human element.

Transformers One Was A Reminder That Transformers Stories Don’t Always Need Humans

Shifting The Focus To The Robots Made The Story Better

Transformers One was one of the most bold and ambitious departures from the franchise in recent years, and it wasn’t because it swerved away from the Bayverse. The movie was animated, and it left humans behind to explore a story set on Cybertron. This innovative story saw Orion Pax bravely embark on an adventure that would transform him into the new leader of the Autobots, Optimus Prime. And while it didn’t have any humans in the film, it did contain a lot of heart, inspiration, and courage from heroes like Optimus as he embraced change, and overcame darkness for a brighter tomorrow.

In fact, the distinct lack of humans forced the film to embrace imbuing the robots with more human characteristics, and making them worth engaging with. This created one of the best received films in the series in recent years, and it certainly proves that the Transformers movies do not need humans to make the story work. So, while Transformers’ upcoming crossover may be an exciting new venture for the series, it doesn’t necessarily mean the space to make the Transformers shine is going to be provided. Fingers crossed, they make it work somehow.

Transformers & G.I. Joe Can Still Be As Big As Michael Bay’s Transformers Hits If Done Right

Learning From Past Mistakes And Building On Success

When it comes to creating a movie, the studios need to know how to sell the product at the end of the day. And that means knowing the audience, and catering to them specifically. The MCU movies managed to have incredible success and growth for over a decade because they leaned in to what fans wanted, and they kept things interesting. When it comes to Transformers, there are certain expectations, and different divisions in the fanbase. Between the childhood fans who are looking for a hit of nostalgia, the action addicts, and the casual viewers, the studio needs to strike a balance and make it worth the time of the largest cross-section of people.

Introducing the G.I. Joe characters seems to point to it being aimed at more of that second category, which is honestly what made the early Bayverse work. And thanks to making it an epic action-packed adventure with the Transformers playing a pivotal role, it soared past £700 million. Then, the sequels continued to balloon that figure until it hit $1.1 billion and then started to decline again. The action, explosions, and incredible graphics managed to make this a hit among a large number of cinema goers, and if the Transformers and G.I. Joe crossover can recapture that magic, it has a sH๏τ of blowing up the box office.