Could Megan Fox make a return to the "Transformers" franchise?

According to rumors, the starlet could make a return to the franchise's fifth film, scheduled to be released in 2016, after missing out on the last two installments.

Fox was one of the main attractions in the first two "Transformers" movies. But then she reportedly had issues with director Michael Bay and was done away with for the ensuing installments. The franchise seemed to do well without her, especially with Michael Bay leading the way as the director.

The third film in the franchise scored over a billion dollars worldwide, though it did score a smaller domestic box office than its predecessor.

However, the rails seemed to start coming off the franchise in the fourth film. It broke the billion dollar mark internationally, but it was not able to even get $300 million domestically, a first for the franchise. The first film grossed $319 million and the second topped $400 million. The third managed $352 million, but the latest installment only brought in a total of $245 million thus far.

For a major franchise that number is disastrous, especially considering the inflated ticket prices.

The latest "Transformers" film was poorly reviewed, but this is nothing new with the franchise. All of them have been panned critically, so the reviews were certainly not the main reason for the poor box office.

Competition probably had a great deal to do with it as the summer was one of the most crowded in years. But the bottom line is that the franchise's new stars, led by Mark Wahlberg, simply looked unable to carry the torch passed on from Shia LaBeouf and Fox.

The most important thing to remember is that Bay will not be back for the new film. And he was the franchise's main selling point for the last four films.

That places the onus on a recognizable face to win back fans and perpetuate the franchise.

LaBoeuf is a long shot as he has denounced Hollywood and is unlikely to make a return to the franchise anytime soon.

But Fox could easily make a comeback. She seems to have made amends with Bay after appearing in this year's new big screen adaptation of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," a film that he produced. Most importantly, it was a triumphant success.

Granted, few would give Fox credit for the film's success. After all, it was the revival of a highly successful franchise. And more importantly, it was not a sequel.

Fox could easily make a return to the "Transformers" films. She was left out of the third film and her story was never actually fleshed out. It is possible that the producers and writers could simply write her back in. This franchise has never been known for its adept storytelling, so finding an excuse for Fox to return would not be too difficult.

Of course, Fox has yet to carry a film on her own, but if TMNT showed the world anything, she does not need to. She is surely the most popular of all the "Transformers" actresses and would lure back fans that enjoyed the first two and simply lost the thread with the final two.

Should Megan Fox return? Let us know in our Latin Post poll.