Say goodbye to Shia and hello to Marky Mark.
Director Michael Bay has confirmed the recent rumor that his “Pain & Gain” star Mark Wahlberg will take the lead role in “Transformers 4,” saying in a statement posted to his official website today:
“Mark is awesome. We had a blast working on ‘Pain and Gain” and I”m so fired up to be back working with him. An actor of his caliber is the perfect guy to re-invigorate the franchise and carry on the Transformers” legacy.”
The fourth installment in Paramount/Hasbro’s wildly-popular sci-fi/action franchise is scheduled for a Spring 2013 production start and a June 27, 2014 release. Bay directed the first three entries in the series to a combined gross of over $2.6 billion worldwide.
Earlier reports indicated Wahlberg’s character is a father with a teenage son, the latter of whom will take over as the lead protagonist in subsequent installments.
“Pain & Gain” is a passion project of Bay’s that stars Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson as Miami bodybuilders who get caught up in a murderous extortion scheme. The film is slated for release on April 26.
How do you feel about Wahlberg starring in “Transformers 4”? Check out the film’s new logo below, then sound off in the comments.