It sounds like we might just see that long-awaited Transformers/G.I. JOE crossover in animation before live-action.
Deadline (via Toonado.com) reports that Robert Kirkman’s Skybound Entertainment has teamed with Hasbro Entertainment to produce an adult animated series based on Kirkman's Image Comics series, Energon Universe, which features characters from Transformers, G.I. JOE, and Void Rivals.
Joe Henderson (Lucifer) is attached to write the adaptation and serve as showrunner on the series, which is expected to be taken out to buyers shortly (given Kirkman's involvement, we'd say there's a decent chance it'll wind up at Amazon).
Despite the more family-friendly tone of the original Transformers and G.I. JOE comics and animated shows, Energon Universe is described as "broad, with adult sensibility in the vein of Kirkman’s gritty adult animated series Invincible."
Other Hasbro-based projects in the works include a Clue series from Sony, Forgotten Realms and Dungeons & Dragons shows with Netflix, a Monopoly film from Lionsgate, a My Little Pony live-action movie at Amazon MGM Studios, and a Power Rangers live-action Disney+ series.
"It's a tremendous honor to be able to reintroduce this world to a new audience under the Skybound banner," Kirkman said when the comic series launched. "I’ve loved these characters for most of my life and to have the opportunity to add to the already rich tapestry Hasbro has built with the all-new Void Rivals is an unbelievable opportunity. If you look at everything done with Transformers and G.I. Joe, you can see the inkling of a vast universe with tremendous potential for crossovers and interaction that will enhance the fan experience while staying true to the individual identities of both concepts. I look forward to exploring that potential for years to come."
Michael Kelly, former Vice President of Global Publishing on Hasbro, added, “When we first discussed the plan for the surprise reveal in Void Rivals #1, I never expected it would be a secret we could keep for over a year. Now that it is finally here, we are all excited to finally be able to talk about all the amazing stories to come from our great new partners at Skybound.”
The events of the last Transformers movie, Rise of The Beasts, gave us a pretty good indication that a live-action crossover was in the pipeline, and last year, we got word that the Robots in Disguise were indeed set to cross paths with the "Real American Heroes" on the big screen.
Towards the end of Rise of the Beasts, our heroes manage to defeat Scourge and the Terrocons, but the threat of Unicron still looms. With Optimus Prime and the other Autobots unable to return home, Noah (Anthony Ramos) moves on with his life and lands a new job at a security firm.
There, he encounters the mysterious Agent Burke (Michael Kelly), who hands him a business card with the G.I. Joe logo on it. Burke makes it clear that he wants to recruit Noah and his Autobot pals into this top-secret organization, telling him, “We’re in the middle of an ongoing war.”
Though this project may still be in development, there's a chance that the recent news that Michael Bay is planning to return to direct another Transformers movie could have thrown a spanner in the works.
What do you make of this news? Any fans of the Energon Universe comics out there? Drop us a comment down below.