Mark Wahlberg & Shia LabeoufAfter Ted, I have a whole new appreciation for Mark Wahlberg. Looks like the star is about to take on a whole different, more action-packed type of project. Get this: Mark will be replacing Shia LaBeouf in the next Transformers movie. Confirmed by the film's director Michael Bay, this is ... interesting. I mean, Mark's replacing someone that's 15 years younger than him. Talk about a whole different angle, eh?

It's not very common for a movie series to just up and replace the main characters. Can you imagine Twilight without RPattz or Harry Potter without Daniel Radcliffe? Yeah, me neither. But this swap feels right for a whole slew of reasons. Primarily, Shia officially skeeves me out.

You can't tell me that the whole having REAL sex on camera thing didn't make you grossed out, too. Oh, and finding out he'd REALLY be dropping acid for the same role? Last time I checked, that's not acting, that's just being creepy and getting filmed in the process.

Nevertheless, the show must go on and that's where Wahlberg comes in. There was just no point in putting a halt to the successful movie franchise because the main character's a dud. Especially considering the last Transformers installment was the fifth-highest-grossing film of all time and made over a billion dollars worldwide! Wowza.

Plain and simple: Wahlberg is a MUCH bigger name. He can definitely bring in some money for the Transformers name, and, well, as far as I know, he hasn't done REAL drugs for a movie role, and that makes him a gem in my book. Plus, the guy doesn't look half bad with his shirt off. Bring on the stunts!  

Do you think Mark Wahlberg is right for the part?

 

Image via david_shankbone, Simon Davison/Flickr