Speaking of Michael Bay, according to this interview at Variety with Paramount CEO Brian Robbins, while Bay may no longer be directing these films, it turns out he still has final say on everything that goes into these movies, and has the power to veto anything he doesn't agree with.
Paramount Pictures CEO Brian Robbins explains the film studio's new look, with "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" and a "Gladiator" sequel.
variety.com
TBH, I don't disagree with Bay entirely here, but then I am very lukewarm on the whole integrating GI Joe thing. The only thing I halfway like about it is that approaching it from this vector lends itself to a more comic-booky, sci-fi-y take that may play better because it isn't a Woo Realistic Military Yeah vibe that no one but a very loud fandom faction of Abe Simpsons wants.
I'm not too surprised by the veto power, as that seems to be something producers tend to hold on to. This is going to be easy to be alarmist about (oh no! Bay can still make or break the movies!) but given we've gotten two movies that are solid-to-good and distinct enough from his stuff strongly suggests it's not a big deal.
The Transformers characters can have screen time and even character development without always using expensive VFX money. Yes, they will need human characters to play off of, but my point was that Transformers don't need VFX for every minute of screen time. They just need to be treated as characters and not just props that show up for the Bayhem sequences.
The Transformers are walking VFX. They need VFX to exist on screen even if they're standing there.
But I agree that TF time onscreen would be better used for characterization moments that need less action and thus less in the way of VFX. Stand, sit, talk, react, interact. No need to constantly transform, blow things up, run, etc.
Not only that, but I realize now that the idea of Transformers adopting the forms of humans and turning back into giant robots whenever it's fightin' time would give the impression of them being less like "giant alien robots from outer space" and more like "human superheroes that can morph their bodies into giant robotic forms".
Holomatter avatars are frankly a weird solution for anyone wanting "more Transformers, less humans", because these are literally going to be humans onscreen that we're just saying are Transformers.
Sure, I guess some people could technically be "proven right" that "you don't need human characters" because now Prime, Mirage, Arcee, and Wheeljack can infiltrate the Peruvian festival themselves rather than rely on Noah and Elena. But surprise, those amount to human characters onscreen, and you didn't fall in love with this franchise because of
human figures that are secretly projected from giant robots that turned into cars and things. However much green-blue digital effect filtering or voice flanging you put there.
It also sharply downplays the "differentness" that Transformers/human interactions run strongly on, not least in the immediately arresting sense of scale. Noah Diaz being cajoled into infiltrating a museum by [actual Pete Davidson] while [actual Peter Cullen] stands by glowering is an SNL sketch I'd like to see, but has none of the same feel of the interaction between Noah, Mirage, and Prime.
And of course even if Paramount were to be fine with it (doubtful, given this is core to the spectacle that
makes these movies), I doubt Hasbro would enjoy having the central gimmick they sell toys based on so downplayed.
