Mark Wahlberg, 52, flexed his acting muscles as Ted’s best friend John Bennett in Seth MacFarlane’s 2012 fantasy comedy flick!

SUMMARY

At the moment, Mark Wahlberg is concentrating on more family-friendly projects in his acting career.

As he has declared his focus on roles that are appropriate for his age, fans of the popular comedy film series Ted may have to wait for another installment.
Ted, the 2012 comedy film with the highest box office receipts, narrates the tale of John Bennett, who yearns for a companion akin to Ted.

At the moment, Mark Wahlberg is content with growing older and taking on the roles that go along with it. He is currently in a family-friendly phase of his career that will continue with Arthur the King, his upcoming flick

However, fans of the hit comedy franchise Ted might have to remain patient for another installment. Indeed, Wahlberg has recently announced that he is focusing on more family-friendly projects at this point in his career. While this may be disappointing news for fans eagerly anticipating his return to the raunchy and hilarious world of Ted, Wahlberg’s commitment to “age-appropriate roles” is admirable.

Seth MacFarlane and Mark Wahlberg in a still from Ted
The story of John Bennett, a lonely young boy who longs for a friend like Ted—his beloved teddy bear—is beautifully told in Ted, the highest-grossing comedy film of 2012. The narrative then switches to an adult Bennett, portrayed by Mark Wahlberg, who aspires to embrace adulthood and leave Ted’s hedonistic way of life behind.

Mark Wahlberg Puts His Personal Life Over Movie Roles

Mark Wahlberg’s latest acting update may be bad news for fans, but it is important to note that every cloud has a silver lining. Yes, it seems that the actor will not be returning to the Ted franchise in the near future.

In an interview with Yahoo Entertainment, the seasoned actor, 52, talked about the kinds of roles he seeks out as he embraces aging and mentioned his recent work (The Family Plan, Uncharted, and Arthur the King). To quote him:

“You know, I do enjoy doing things that the whole entire family can see. Look, I’m 52 years old now. I’m a dad of four. I’ve got a kid in college. I like playing age-appropriate roles. I think a lot of people don’t embrace that and audiences are like — this doesn’t seem real.” The Ted actor shares four children with his wife, Rhea Durham.

Mark Wahlberg in Ted
After his breakthrough performance in Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1997 $43.1 million film Boogie Nights, Wahlberg has been in the business for decades. He said that he now thinks viewers would rather see “the guy and the gal being in the same age bracket”, adding

“There’s many different things that I think audiences frown upon and I want to do things that are believable and realistic. Listen, if the right script comes, I don’t rule anything out.” 

Still, he will not “rule” anything out if the right script materializes. Wahlberg stated that he strives for his projects to be “meaningful.”

This is also the case with his next movie, Arthur the King, which he both co-produces and stars in. The wholesome adventure film stars Wahlberg as racer Mikael Lindnord, who adopts a stray dog named Arthur and trains him for a historic race.

The Franchise Creator’s Response To Mark Wahlberg’s Absence From The Ted TV Show

A still from Ted – The Peacock Show
The Ted creator, Seth MacFarlane, explained why Mark Wahlberg turned down a chance to reprise his iconic role of John Bennett in the latest streaming series (on Peacock).

The former explained to TheWrap that Wahlberg’s busy “schedule” was the reason for his absence, but Max Burkholder, the recent casting choice, benefited greatly from playing a younger John.

“The practical reason is Mark Wahlberg’s schedule. He’s got a million movies he’s working on at any given time, and so getting him to do a television series — his schedule just doesn’t permit that, let alone something that potentially goes for more than one season. It’s just tough. It doesn’t take too long to get to the idea of a prequel once you’re looking at that reality.”

The first film in the series, Ted, made much more than its $50–65 million budget when it was released, grossing over $549 million worldwide. It featured the witty, darkly humorous, and almost offensive comedy that has become MacFarlane’s signature style (American Dad!, The Cleveland Show). Ted’s popularity inspired a follow-up, Ted 2, which was somewhat successful but not as successful as the original.

Due to the enormous success of the film series, a seven-episode prequel TV series made its Peacock debut on January 11, 2024, to favorable reviews from critics.

Also, Arthur the King is arriving in theaters on March 15, 2024.