Transformers: Rise of the Beasts ending explained: how it sets up an unlikely crossover

While the Transformers: Rise of the Beasts ending wraps up in a pretty clean fashion, there is one scene in particular that will get fans of a certain generation talking. No spoilers just yet, but it’s certainly something that certainly needs to be interrogated further – purely because of the WTF-ness of it all.

Are you ready? Let’s dive into an unlikely crossover that could have the internet buzzing.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts ending explained

Scourge and Unicron are defeated in South America at the hands of Noah (Anthony Ramos), Elena (Dominique Fishback), Optimus Prime, and the Maximals. The transwarp key may be lost but, for now, the Earth is safe: Elena has achieved newfound fame because of her discoveries, and Noah even finds time to attend a promising-sounding job interview at a company called Slizza.

Once he arrives, he is met by Agent Burke (Michael Kelly), who quickly drops the façade of an actual job interview for something much more exciting.

Burke, it’s revealed, is part of a top-secret "off the books" government agency that is tasked with dealing with planetary and extinction-level threats. It appears that Noah’s time in Peru has put him on the radar of some pretty powerful people. And, yes, this is partly because he didn’t heed his brother Chris’ advice and use codenames over the two-way radio.

"We are in the middle of a war," Burke says, "We'd love to have you join the fight." He then enters a hi-tech facility hidden behind the walls of his office. Burke hands Noah a business card with the promise of a job offer. Noah flips the card around to reveal the name of the team on the back: G.I. Joe.

Why is G.I. Joe in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts?

Yep, it’s the crossover no one could have predicted – though maybe we should have expected it, given both franchises’ storied history.

G.I. Joe and Transformers are both created and owned by Hasbro and have occasionally crossed paths in the past.

Marvel published a mini-series titled G.I. Joe and the Transformers in 1986 and followed it up with a 12-issue crossover event in the mid-1990s. Most recently, IDW published Transformers vs. G.I. Joe, while there have been occasional meet-ups before and since between the two series in the comics.

For the uninitiated, G.I. Joe is a toy line-turned-media-phenomenon, which peaked in popularity thanks to a pair of animated series in the 1980s. Its team features the likes of commanding officer Hawk, field leader Duke, and soldier Flint taking on the terrorist organization Cobra.

It’s clear, then, that there is no logical (or legal) roadblocks to introducing G.I. Joe into the Transformers universe. In fact, given how cinematic universes are all the rage now, it might entice several lapsed Transformers fans across multiple generations to seek out a new mega crossover event.

What is less unclear, however, is whether a G.I. Joe movie or Rise of the Beasts sequel is in the works.

If so, it’s likely that Noah will either accept a spot in the G.I. Joe team – or reject it and eventually lock horns with a squad that tends to shoot first, ask questions later. Given Noah’s moral compass – and his discharge from the U.S. Army years prior – we’d wager on 'Sonic' speeding well away from any potential affiliation with the shadowy group.

Whatever the endgame, two of Hasbro’s mega-franchises are officially together on-screen for the first time ever. That’s a big deal – no matter which way you look at it.

For more from Rise of the Beasts, check out our guide on the Rise of the Beasts post-credits scene, plus a look at how to watch the Transformers movies in order.

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.