Michael Bay now keen on Mark Wahlberg for Transformers 4

A couple of weeks ago, it was rumoured that Michael Bay was looking to reunite with Mark Wahlberg, the star of his upcoming bodybuilding caper Pain and Gain, for the fourth instalment in the blockbuster Transformers movie series. While Bay subsequently poured cold water on the speculation, it seems that the filmmaker has now had a change of heart and has taken to the internet today to post an update on his official site, suggesting that the former Marky Mark may indeed line up alongside the Autobots and Decepticons in the forthcoming sequel.

"I squashed a rumor that was on the internet last week. It was about Mark Walhberg. Mark was rumored to be staring in Transformers 4. We are working on another movie together, not T4. I had such a great time working with Mark on Pain and Gain, and he gave such a great performance – well let’s say that very internet chatter gave me some ideas. We are at the inception of our story process right now on T4. Let’s say some ideas are gaining traction with me and my writer – so I’m here to say thanks internet chatter."

Transformers 4 is expected to see wholesale changes to the franchise, particularly in terms of the human cast members, although Bay has confirmed that Peter Cullen will once again lend his voice to the Autobot leader Optimus Prime. The script for the as-yet-untitled sequel is currently being written by Ehren Kruger (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Transformers: Dark of the Moon), and the film is slated for release on June 27th, 2014.