‘Transformers 4:’ Mark Wahlberg Officially Cast In Next Sequel

It’s finally official: Director Michael Bay’s Transformers 4 will star frequent action hero Mark Wahlberg, according to USA Today.

After shutting down rumors and then starting them back up again, Bay has officially announced that Mark Wahlberg will star in the next installment of the Transformers saga. The director spread the word about the casting on his official website.

“Mark is awesome,” Bay wrote. “We had a blast working on ‘Pain & Gain’ and I’m so fired up to be back working with him. An actor of his caliber is the perfect guy to re-invigorate the franchise and carry on the ‘Transformers’ legacy.”

Yesterday The Inquisitr reported that Michael Bay was considering the Boogie Nights star as the lead in the next entry in the popular series. Inspired by “internet chatter,” the filmmaker revealed that he had started considering Wahlberg for the role in earnest.

“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,” the director recently explained.

Bay’s Pain and Gain, which stars Wahlberg and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, is a departure from the director’s previous big budget endeavors. The film follows the adventures of two Florida bodybuilders who get wrapped up in a kidnapping scheme that ultimately goes awry. The movie is slated to arrive in theaters on April 26, 2013.

According to Entertainment Weekly, the next Transformers movie should arrive in North American theaters on June 27, 2014. The new logo for the film has been included at the top of this article.

Do you think Mark Wahlberg is the right fit for Transformers 4?