Chris Hemsworth's Transformers & G.I. Joe Movie Role Looks More Obvious After New Comments

Summary Chris Hemsworth's comments suggest he will play a G.I. Joe character in the Transformers crossover movie, not just reprise Optimus Prime.

Hemsworth's switch to G.I. Joe side eliminates franchise confusion and sets up a bright future in the Hasbro Cinematic Universe.

Playing a main G.I. Joe role enhances Hemsworth's potential for multiple hit franchises if the Transformers crossover is successful.

New comments by Chris Hemsworth shed light on his role in the planned Transformers and G.I. Joe crossover movie, making an obvious role look more likely. Although he is about to debut as the voice of Orion Pax a.k.a. Optimus Prime in Transformers One, the actor is also expected to play a bigger role in Hasbro's movie future. Reports previously surfaced that revealed Hemsworth was in talks for the Transformers 8 crossover movie. This piece of casting sparked many questions about how he would factor into the event film and what character from either franchise he would play.

Since Hemsworth is already the voice of Optimus Prime in Transformers One, there was some belief that he could be reprising his role in the live-action crossover. However, the safer bet was that there was a new character who Hemsworth could play in G.I. Joe and Transformers' crossover. The actor's specific involvement in the film has yet to be officially announced, much less the role he will play. But, comments out of San Diego Comic-Con from Hemsworth addressing the Optimus Prime confusion have now provided some clarity. They strongly indicate what side he'll be on in the crossover.

Related Transformers' G.I. Joe Crossover Movie Must Avoid A Common Franchise Trend As exciting as the potential Transformers' G.I. Joe Crossover movie may seem, it faces the significant challenge of breaking a common franchise trend.

He Mentions Switching Sides

Close

It now appears that Chris Hemsworth will play a G.I. Joe character in the upcoming crossover. He did not directly confirm this during his recent quotes, but the part that sticks out the most is when he said, "Am I still going to play Optimus Prime and then switch over to G.I. Joe?" The key part of the quote is him saying he'd need to "switch over to G.I. Joe." This implies that discussions about what character Hemsworth will play have revolved around his role being connected to G.I. Joe rather than sticking with Transformers after the 2024 animated movie.

The likelihood of Hemsworth playing a member of the new G.I. Joe team now appears to be stronger. This was already presumed based on the original casting news and the actor's great experience with action-heavy roles, such as Extraction. He's perfectly suited to be a new version of Duke, a younger Joe Cotton, or other vital members of the G.I. Joe universe. While his character's identity still remains a secret, it will come as a much bigger surprise now if Hemsworth is not playing a G.I. Joe character in the Transformers crossover.

Related Thanks Chris Hemsworth, I Feel Much Better About Transformers' Peter Cullen Recast Now Chris Hemsworth voicing Optimus Prime instead of Peter Cullen is now more promising thanks to Hemsworth's comments at San Diego Comic-Con.

Chris Hemsworth Playing A G.I. Joe Character Is Better Than Him Voicing Optimus Prime

His Franchise Future Is Brighter

Although it still might be a bit confusing for audiences to see Chris Hemsworth play a G.I. Joe character and likely interact with Peter Cullen's Optimus Prime, it is better than the alternative. It would be more strange to have him go from being the voice of Optimus Prime in Transformers One to voicing a different Autobot in Transformers 8 or a human character from that mythology. Switching Hemsworth over to the G.I. Joe side of the crossover eliminates most of the broader franchise confusion and keeps Cullen around for more movies.

Tackling the main G.I. Joe role in the Transformers/G.I. Joe crossover movie also bodes well for Hemsworth's future in the franchise. He could continue to voice Optimus Prime in Transformers One sequels while Peter Cullen remains the voice for all live-action films. Hemsworth could then double-dip in the Hasbro Cinematic Universe by becoming the lead of a new G.I. Joe franchise. He might then have multiple hit franchises to be part of if the Transformers and G.I. Joe movie does well.