On IMDb, Michael Kelly’s character in “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” is listed as “Agent Burke.” That name shouldn’t mean anything to fans of either “Transformers” or “G.I. Joe,” meaning he’s likely a completely new character for both franchises. However, more than digging into who his character could secretly be, it’s far more fun to ponder how he’ll factor into potential crossovers moving forward.
While “Bumblebee” and “Rise of the Beasts” still kind of take place in the same timeline as Michael Bay’s “Transformers” movies, there’s ample time to explore between 1994 and 2007. After some prior “G.I. Joe” cinematic outings, it seems as though Paramount and Hasbro want these two toy juggernauts to join forces on the big screen finally. Michael Kelly’s Agent Burke could function as the Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) of this new cinematic universe, drawing in Noah to continue being part of globe-trotting adventures while having a way to form an alliance with the Autobots if a world-ending event were to present itself.
And why should the crossovers end there? Hasbro has plenty of toys at its disposal to throw into this universe. Why not have the Autobots and the members of G.I. Joe fight the forces of evil at Gumdrop Mountain in Candy Land? All it would take is continuing to have Kelly show up at the ends of these movies to tease what’s next, and viewers will gladly eat it up.
