Mark Wahlberg pictured here with wife Rhea and kids at his son Michael’s soccer game in Brentwood, California on November 3, 2012.

Hopefully Shia LaBeouf has a few projects lined up because he will not be appearing in “Transformers 4.” The film’s producer Michael Bay has confirmed that Mark Wahlberg will battle Optimus Prime in the next installment of the popular franchise.

Initially Bay denied rumors that Wahlberg would star in the film but in a post on his blog on Thursday, Bay called Wahlberg the “perfect guy to re-invigorate the franchise and carry on the Transformers’ legacy.”  No announcement has been made about the film’s plot or Wahlberg’s character. Bay and Wahlberg recently worked together on a film called “Pain and Gain.”

Bay said the next film will take a new direction in the series. The first three films starred Shia LaBeouf and grossed more than $2.6 billion worldwide.

“Transformers 4” is slated for release by Paramount Pictures on June 27, 2014.