HONG KONG (AP) – The robots aren’t the only part of the latest “Transformers” film that changed. Led by star Mark Wahlberg, a whole new cast was brought in to give a fresh start to the blockbuster franchise.
“Transformers: Age of Extinction” stars Wahlberg as a mechanic who strikes up a friendship with good-guy robot Optimus Prime.
Wahlberg said the idea of joining the franchise came while he and Bay were working on last year’s film, “Pain and Gains.”
“I’ve never done a sequel to any of the movies that I’ve done and this is my first installment in the series. So, still not really a sequel for me. Just thought it was fun to do something different and I really wanted to work with Michael.”
The first three films were anchored by Shia LaBeouf, and Wahlberg has previously said he felt pressure about stepping into the shoes of other actors. Still he jumped at the opportunity, and while he’s signed to do future installments, “I’m not doing it if Michael doesn’t do it. So we’ll see what happens.”