The Transformers franchise is about to expand in some significant ways with the upcoming release of Transformers: The Last Knight. Several fascinating new elements will become fundamental to the existing Transformers mythology, and that expansion will see a wave of new characters enter the fray. However, with these new additions, we will also see some series old timers step back as well. In particular, Mark Wahlberg recently came out and admitted that The Last Knight would be his final film in the franchise. That said, he doesn't appear too upset about it. Wahlberg revealed:
It's the last one so I get my life back!
That's right, folks. Per Mark Wahlberg's recent comments on The Graham Norton Show (via Digital Spy), the actor will move on from the franchise after Transformers: The Last Knight and Cade Yeager will seemingly retire -- unless the studio opts to recast. It's an important moment for the series, but it also sounds like Wahlberg is somewhat excited about the possibility of taking a step back from blockbuster filmmaking. The actor even admitted that the mere act of getting in shape for The Last Knight took a whopping five months to accomplish, so I can't say that I blame him for wanting to slow down. With reduced commitments to such a behemoth film series, the actor will have the ability to focus more on his comparatively smaller projects like the Daddy's Home movies, so there's plenty for us to get excited about.
Although Mark Wahlberg is leaving the Transformers franchise for greener pastures, the series has not slowed down in its search for talent in recent weeks. Transformers found itself in an odd position when original series lead Shia LaBeouf opted not to return, and Wahlberg has helped serve as a strong bridge between what Transformers was and what it will eventually become. We still don't know much about the sixth installment in the adventures of the Autobots, but we do know that next year's Bumblebee spinoff is currently eyeing The Edge of Seventeen's Hailee Steinfeld to headline the solo movie as one of the new faces of Transformers.
Mark Wahlberg isn't the only notable figure leaving the Transformers franchise after the events of Transformers: The Last Knight. In addition to serving as the swan song for the current series headliner, the fifth entry in the story will also be Michael Bay's last foray into this particular sci-fi action world as well. The Transformers series will fundamentally change once both of these talents depart, so there's quite a bit of incentive to leave everything on a high note.
With Mark Wahlberg's Cade Yeager now set to retire after Transformers: The Last Knight, the stakes are higher than ever for Michael Bay's blockbuster franchise. The Last Knight is scheduled to debut in theaters on June 21, so make sure to check it out!
