Last week, Transformers: Dark of the Moon premiered and capped off a trilogy of Michael Bay’s shock-and-awe style Transformers movies. So, what is next for the big-screen, summer blockbuster franchise based on a beloved cartoon from our childhood?

Producer Don Murphy (Real Steel, Transformers) confirmed on his personal forum board that they don’t exactly want to reboot the franchise but instead, create a second trilogy of movies:

“What happens next? Certainly not a reboot. We haven’t lost the Transformers. They didn’t grow up or become expensive like Toby Maguire. I don’t know what happens next. I’m pretty sure there will be a second trilogy. I am pretty sure it will kick ass. And I am pretty sure some of you will hate it because it wasn’t all bots.”

That said, the latest rumor floating around via Showbiz Spy is that Jason Statham (The Expendables, Transporter) may be courted as the new lead in the next Transformers movie. An unnamed source says Statham has the acting legs to take the franchise to a “new, darker direction:”

“It’s clear the franchise still has huge potential but with a new leading man capable of taking Transformers in a new, darker direction. Jason could be just the man to do that and his relationship with Rosie would be an added bonus in marketing the movie.”

Statham is currently dating Rosie Huntington Whitely, who replaced Megan Fox for Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Whitely talked about the possibility of working with her beau:

“I love his films and now I get to love doing action too. So that’s something that we definitely share in common now.”

Of course, this is all speculation at this point, but keep it here on SciFi Mafia on the latest on Transformers!