Michael Bay is returning to the Transformers franchise, and it’s going to determine the future of the series. Bay is the filmmaker who kicked off the live-action Transformers movie series, directing the first film in 2007 all the way through the fifth, The Last Knight, in 2017.

The franchise saw mᴀssive box office returns under Bay’s oversight, but little critical acclaim. Starting with the Bumblebee prequel in 2018, the series pivoted to live-action movies that were more accurate to the classic Transformers media, something that was continued with 2023’s Rise of the Beasts. New filmmakers directed these projects, but without Bay, the franchise began to dwindle financially.

In June, it was announced that Bay will be returning to direct his sixth Transformers movie. According to reports, Bay was the one who sought a return to the series and pitched an idea to Paramount. The film will be written by Jordan VanDina, but it isn’t known if it is a sequel to The Last Knight, a continuation of the new timeline, or a reboot.

Michael Bay Will Either Save Transformers Or Kill It For Good

It is no secret that the Transformers franchise has struggled at the box office in recent years. Bay’s original five movies grossed an average of $876.12 million, with this figure being dragged down by The Last Knight, which followed up on two billion-dollar hits by making only $605.4 million.

In comparison, the modern movies have done even worse. Bumblebee made only $468 million, barely half of Bay’s average. Rise of the Beasts‘ box office was even worse, making only $441.7 million. While an animated film, Transformers One‘s $129.4 million total is symbolic of the franchise’s status falling a long way since the golden age of Bay.

Bay’s return to the series could recapture the box office magic of the original films, course correcting after a series of financial disappointments. Bay is a mᴀssive filmmaker, so having his name attached alone will bring more eyes to the film. He is the one who built the live-action series, so if anyone can fix these issues, it’s him.

However, if Bay fails to make a box office hit, it is possible that the series could be shelved by Paramount. The Transformers series can’t afford another box office disappointment. These movies usually require substantial budgets, meaning that box office failures are huge losses for Paramount.

Unfortunately, The Last Knight‘s disappointing box office occurred even while Bay was still in the director’s chair, proving that he isn’t a guaranteed fix. It could be that the years without Bay will make audiences excited to see a movie by him again. However, the franchise’s reputation could outweigh his own.

The franchise’s poor critical reception and oversaturation may have simply stained the brand too much, killing the chances of ever bringing it back to its former glory. The return of Michael Bay is one last Hail Mary from Paramount, and if it doesn’t work, it will be the final nail in the coffin for Transformers.