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There is a little saying that goes something like this: just because you can, that doesn’t mean you should. It’s a saying spoken more and more frequently in today’s entertainment landscape, and a lot of people were thinking about it when Hasbro announced that they were teaming up with Paramount and an impressive team of writers to create the “Hasbro Cinematic Universe “in 2015.
While the details were a bit hazy back then – and honestly aren’t clearer now – according to Hollywood journalist, the partnership aimed to create “an interconnected on-screen universe featuring Hasbro GI Joe, Micronauts, Visionaries, MASK (Mobile Armored Strike Ordered) and ROM brands,” with Transformers role in all of this undefined. It’s now been almost six years since this announcement was made, and it’s still debated whether the whole plan of the Cinematic Universe will work for them because, well, not much has happened in this established universe Hasbro and Paramount are releasing two Transformers films since. However, it looks like things are about to change. Perhaps.
July 23, Snake Eyes: GI Joe Origins hits theaters and marks the official reboot of the GI Joe series or – at the very least – a spin-off that could very well turn into a reboot. You see, in Snake-eyes, several characters already in the previous two GI Joe films have been recast, including Snake Eyes himself. While it’s true that Paramount and Hasbro could view the film as an alternate universe if it performs poorly, its success could be a starting point for a new one. GI Joe saga and this anticipated connected universe – which perhaps seems optimistically anticipated by the studio considering that a sequel is already in development. however, Snake-eyes is not the only characteristic of the works, nor the only one with a lot of vagueness surrounding its continuity.
Of them Transformers films, a new GI Joe film, and films based on Rom the Space Knight and MASK are still in the works at Paramount, although the aforementioned editorial team that was destined to work there has would have dissolved and, according to Transformers and GI Joe producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, “never really worked out very well, unfortunately.” Looks like a lot of work is going on, but is not we are talking about, which could indicate either big plans, big hesitations or, more likely than not, both.
While plans for other Hasbro properties seem a lot more open and moving fairly slowly (hell, see John Frances Daly’s Dungeons and Dragons movie) those attached to the HCU seem lukewarm and ambiguous. While combining a studio’s franchises into a singular universe has obviously worked quite well for both the MCU and to a lesser extent for the DCU, the business is massive and certainly doesn’t work for everyone. Right now, it seems Hasbro is finding it all a bit overwhelming and not sure when to fully engage with the idea, and so is repeatedly testing the waters and seeking feedback rather than diving straight in. Much like the HCU in general, only time will tell how it all works for them.
