See Optimus Prime In First Look At Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts

Optimus Prime has a new look for Transformers 7.

By Annie Banks | Published

This article is more than 2 years old

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The Transformers saga returns as Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is currently rolling its cameras. Cameras aren’t the only thing rolling out as the Autobots return to the big screen. The iconic Optimus Prime is back and sporting a new G-1 design. There hasn’t been a full reveal of what he’ll look like in robot form, but there are hopes that there’s some sort of influence left behind by Michael Bay’s Bumblebee.

Little detail is known about Transformers: Rise of the Beasts besides that it draws inspiration from the Beast Wars animated series and sets Optimus Prime in center stage. Videos leaked from the set in Brooklyn, New York promise that Optimus Prime won’t be the only Autobot (or Decepticon) that will defend Earth against their lastest threat.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts takes place in 1994 and primarily focuses on the two humans who first discover Autobots, such as Optimus Prime. Aside from Optimus Prime, it’s been confirmed that Maximals such as Optimus Primal will appear in the film. It’s expected that other Transformers, especially Bumblebee, are to join in on the ensemble. A Tweet shot from the film’s set shares a video that captures Optimus Prime in his G-1 form.

The onlooker’s video shows Optimus Prime in his semi-truck form which takes him back to his original design. Past Transformers movies have been highly criticized for their overly ornate and essentially unfaithful character designs. After being compared to the cartoon series and toys that copied the likeness of the characters, the cinematic versions were in great contrast to their counterparts who had straightforward, memorable looks. While some fans may prefer the new looks, many will of course be missing the Michael Bay style that the live-action movie franchise has been built on. The new footage has the character looking more realistic, but that may be a little different once the special effects department gets their hands on the official footage.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is the seventh movie in the ongoing, 11-year-long franchise, that at its core, is a never-ending brawl between Autobots and Decepticons hashing it out as major cities collapse around them. The seventh installation is looking to forego its ‘Rock’em Sock’em Robots’ theme and abandon the Cybertronians for a change. The focus in the new story shifts from Optimus Prime and Megatron and instead centers around their distant relatives in an effort to revitalize the relevancy around Michael Bay’s explosive series again.

It’s a surprise that Michael Bay won’t be behind the camera for another expectedly bombastic Transformers flick, as it’s a direct gateway for his grandiose orchestrations of mass destruction. Director Angel Manuel Soto has been given the reins on the project with Marco Ramirez tagging along to write. Marco Ramirez was the showrunner for Marvel’s The Defenders and Marvel’s Daredevil. With such accolades, it seems like Optimus Prime and his pals (or foes) are in good hands, as Marco Ramirez has proven his writing chops and his love for the Burroughs of New York through his work on the Marvel series. Autobots will roll out and onto the silver screen in 2022.