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Transformers: Rise of the Beasts director Steven Caple Jr. and producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura have addressed the surprise crossover during the movie’s final moments.
Spoilers for the Rise of the Beasts ending follow. You have been warned.
From the second Agent Burke (Michael Kelly) stepped into frame, the Transformers universe suddenly got a whole lot bigger. He offers Noah (Anthony Ramos) the job opportunity of a lifetime at G.I. Joe and – while the two franchises have crossed paths in comics across the past few decades – it appears Rise of the Beasts is setting up a cinematic clash of the toy titans.
"The fans want a lot of things; if we do it and we don’t figure it out well, they’re going to be disappointed. It took us a while to figure out the Maximals, and now we have the hint of how to begin the Joes story," di Bonaventura teased to Variety of the potential next step.
He admitted, however, that there is no plan for certain characters to appear. The likes of Cobra Commander and Snake Eyes are perennial fan favorites who are likely at the top of everyone’s crossover wishlists – but nothing is a guarantee.
"We don’t plan that far ahead. We react to what the audience is reacting to, so in a way we can please them, but also in a way it makes it feel fresh," di Bonaventura notes. He also added: "We expect there’s going to be some allegiance and they’re going to go on some kind of mission together."
Caple Jr. hints that the future of the Transformers could draw in more obscure Joes, and even head to outer space.
"There are sections of the Joes that haven’t been utilized and characters that have never been touched, and I’m excited about that," Caple said. "I will say this about what’s next: We have spent a lot of time on Earth and I’m curious as to what else is out there."
Any crossover could hinge on Rise of the Beast’s performance at the box office. If enough moviegoers roll out – the opening weekend saw it gross $170 million – then a dream Transformers/G.I. Joe crossover could finally take shape.
For more, check out our guides on the Rise of the Beasts post-credits scene and how to watch Transformers in order.
