Stars Shia LaBeouf and Mark Wahlberg are two actors who have yet to share the screen with one another in a major project, but their collective time in the Transformers franchise will always links them together. They both anchored the franchise in successful films and helped make it a massive success during the 2000s and beyond.

Needless to say, both men made a pretty penny from their work in the franchise, but only one can lay claim to making more than the other in this contest of millions.

Let’s look and see which performer made more than the other.

Shia LaBeouf Topped Out At $15 Million For ‘Dark Of The Moon’

Shia LaBeouf Transformers
Via heyiguys.com

Back in 2007, the hype for a live-action Transformers film was through the roof, and fans of the animated series were excited to see their favorite characters come to life on the big screen in a Michael Bay film. Shia LaBeouf was cast as the lead in the film, and once it hit theaters, it became a massive success that started a popular franchise.

LaBeouf had been putting in years of work in Hollywood before landing the role of Sam in the film, but despite this, he was not able to command a massive salary like some would think. According to Celebrity Net Worth, LaBeouf was paid roughly $750,000 to star in the movie. This may seem like a nice payday, but Hollywood stars can command a whole lot more than this for huge films. Thankfully, the success of this movie meant a huge boost in pay for the star.

For the second Transformers film, Revenge of the Fallen, LaBeouf was paid a cool $5 million, per Celebrity Net Worth. This was a big jump in pay when compared to what he made for the first film, and it was far closer to what he should have been making for starring in a big-budget franchise flick. The subsequent success of the second film netted him an even larger salary for Dark of the Moon.

For his third franchise film, LaBeouf was able to pocket $15 million, which landed him in A-list territory. Only major performers get paid like this, and his salary was a testament of his abilities to act and carry a franchise. This would be his last payday before departing the franchise, allowing Mark Wahlberg to enter the fold.

Related: Is Shia LaBeouf About To Be Blacklisted From Hollywood?

Mark Wahlberg Made Up To $40 Million For ‘The Last Knight’

Mark Wahlberg Transformers
Via blastingnews.com

Prior to joining the Transformers franchise, Mark Wahlberg was already a huge star who had been the lead in many successful projects. On top of that, the performer had already been nominated for an Academy Award, as well. These distinctions helped net him a base salary of $17 million for Age of Extinction.

Wahlberg’s proven track record of success and the franchise’s large fan base ensured that the film would be a huge success at the box office, and once the dust had settled, the film found itself crossing the $1 billion mark. It is possible that Wahlberg picked up money on the film’s profits, too.

For The Last Knight, Wahlberg was able to shatter what he had made before. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Mark Wahlberg was able to make up to $40 million for the film, which is a staggering amount of money for any actor to be making. The film was a financial success, and Wahlberg was more than happy to collect a gigantic paycheck for his efforts.

Clearly, Wahlberg made a ton more than LaBeouf did for their work in the franchise, but things have moved on without them.

Related: Ray Liotta Nearly Played This Incredible Mark Wahlberg Character

Where The Franchise Stands Now

Transformers Movie
Via screencrush.com

After the departure of both Shia LaBeouf and Mark Wahlberg, the Transformers franchise has kept moving along. In 2018, Bumblebee hit theaters with the hopes of achieving the success of its predecessors, but its box office gross was not quite up to snuff with past Transformers projects.

According to IMDb, there is a new Transformers film that could be coming out as early as 2022. Transformers: Beast Alliance is the working name for the film, according to Movie Web, and the film is said to be including characters from the beloved Beast Wars franchise. This would be a monumental crossover for cartoon fans, and it would certainly play into the nostalgia factor for many potential viewers.

It will be interesting to see how the franchise continues to perform without either LaBeouf or Wahlberg in the mix. They were a huge part of the franchise’s success throughout the years.

Related: Does Shia LaBeouf Regret Being In 'Indiana Jones'?

When it comes to breaking down salaries between LaBeouf and Wahlberg, this matchup was no contest for Mark Wahlberg.

Next: Leonardo DiCaprio Said He Wishes He Could've Played This Mark Wahlberg Role