Mark Wahlberg Joins ‘Transformers 4’ Cast
Moving away from Shia LaBeouf, Michael Bay has found his next Transformers prodigal son in Mark Wahlberg. After speculation flew around that Wahlberg might star in the 2014 installment in Bay’s Transformers series. Where LaBeouf’s role was largely that of a boy, some have said, Wahlberg’s casting shows a move in the right direction — an adult direction, one a tad bit more gritty than before. Wahlberg and Bay have worked together before, most recently in Bay’s action-comedy movie ‘Pain & Gain’ (starring Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, and Ed Harris), and their working together may have pushed Bay to team up with the star once more.
What doesn’t need to be argued is Wahlberg’s ability as an actor. After films like ‘Ted’, ‘The Departed’, and ‘The Italian Job’ – it’d be a lie to say that Mark Wahlberg is a step under Shia LaBeouf in acting caliber. If anything, Wahlberg’s casting is a brilliant choice, and hopefully one not underscored by bad writing and — what some may consider — bad directing on Bay’s part.
After the release of the second Transformers movie, ‘Revenge of the Fallen’, Bay stated that the third would be his last entry. However, he’s now saying that the fourth will be his last entry, and that it will have an ultimately different feel than any before it. That little sliver of hope he offers fans may not be enough, after the vast majority of them were put off by not just the third entry (‘Dark of the Moon’), but the second entry as well! The third movie brought in less box office revenue than the second, and scored just a few points higher when it came to reviews — still remaining below 50% approval, though.
If anything, Bay’s decision to cast Wahlberg may have been a desperate attempt to reach a new audience. Perhaps one more mature than before, especially with Wahlberg’s impressive portfolio of R-rated movies.
Take the news how you will, but don’t expect a sudden turnaround in the franchise because of one actor. Bay’s taste for explosions galore will still exist, and while the film may pull in impressive numbers – it probably won’t leave audiences feeling as satisfied as Bay seems to believe.
