The Transformers franchise made Shia LaBeouf a mega-star, but he can’t play second fiddle to a bunch of computer-generated robots forever. So it should be no surprise to hear that after the current movie, Dark of the Moon, he’s calling it quits.

Talking to MTV during their movie awards Shia made it all pretty clear. He says, “I'm not coming back to do another one.” And actually it sounds like if Paramount wants more (and come on, these things are a cash cow, they will), the whole thing may have to move on to a completely new bunch of filmmakers. Even Michael Bay may not be up for Transformers 4. LaBeouf confirms, “I don't think Mike will either. It still is a hot property, I think, especially coming out of the third one. So I imagine they'll reboot it at some point with someone else.”

He’s throwing the word reboot around a little casually there. Just because Michael Bay leaves doesn’t mean they have to reboot it. They can plug in some other director and, sorry Shia, pretty easily hire some other actor. People really only show up for the robots, he’s not exactly essential to the franchise.

It doesn’t sound like he bears the franchise any particular ill-will though. He says he’ll be there opening night to see the fourth one, if it happens, and he’s pretty enthusiastic about the current movie Dark of the Moon, calling it “our best movie.” Maybe so, but count me excited to see what Transformers might look like once someone other than Michael Bay gets his hand on it.