Transformers Onestands apart from the live-action movies in many ways, and one mistake that started with Michael Bay won’t be repeated as the franchise continues. The 2024 animatedTransformersmovie is a break away from Paramount’s live-action series that started with Bay’s first movie in 2007. While Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and Megatron were still central focuses in that film,Transformers Oneputs them - specificallyOrion Pax and D-16’s friendshipfalling apart as they become Optimus Prime and Megatron - in the spotlight. That’s all thanks to the franchise eliminating humans from the story.
The live-action franchise that Michael Bay started kept the core Autobots and Decepticons in prominent roles, but they were always secondary to the human leads, whether they beSam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf)or Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg).Transformers Oneis the first time the franchise told a complete story with the Transformers as the leads, as there is not a single human being who appears in the film. This proved to be a genius move as audiences were able to engross themselves inMegatron and Optimus Prime’s rivalryfully. The franchise won’t make a mistake in changing that either.
Transformers One’s Setting Rules Out Humans From Future Installments
Humanity Is Not Part Of The Plans
The lack of humans in the animated movie made sense givenTransformers Oneplacement in the timeline, which is 300 million years before the time period of Bay’s first movie - even though they are not directly connected. The fact that the entire story also took place on the Transformers' home planet ofCybertron also made it impossible for any humans to be present. However, the established precedent for humans to be key figures in theTransformersmovies left some questions about whether they could be introduced in future installments through some means.
Transformers One is now available to buy or rent on digital
Transformers Onedirector Josh Cooley essentially ruled out this possibility through the film’s home release. There is a featurette titled “World Building on Cybertron” where various crew members discuss what went into creating the film’s version of Cybertron. Cooley specifically mentions at one point that"Humans don’t even exist yet.“This is notable for the franchise as it confirms that there iscurrently no path for humans to be involved in upcoming installmentssince they are not around. So, even if sequels move the story to Earth for some reason, humans won’t be involved, barring a major time jump.
The Live-Action Transformers Movies Didn’t Have The Luxury To Not Include Humans
Humans Are Necessary For Live-Action
UnlikeTransformers One, Michael Bay’s firstTransformersmovie andevery live-action installment that followed has included a human lead character. This is by design, as the original film was built around the relationship between a boy and his car, and that idea has carried through with each new entry. The problem with the live-action films, though, is that many of theTransformershuman charactershave underwhelmed audiences, creating a feeling that they are blocking the Transformers from having a chance to be the true stars they deserve to be.
Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf), Carly Spencer (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley)
Transformers: Age of Extinction(2014)
Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg), Tessa Yeager (Nicola Peltz), Shane (Jack Reynor)
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts(2023)
Noah Diaz (Anthony Ramos), Elena Wallace (Dominique Fishback)
Any complaints about human characters being in thelive-actionTransformersmoviesare understandable, but it is also a moot point.These films have to have real actors on set who can carry scenes so that the production costs do not skyrocket even higherthan they already are. Ahead ofTransformers One’s release, franchise producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura suggested that making the animated film in live-action would have cost over $500 million due to the reliance on CGI to create the Transformers and build the world. That’s why the live-action films keep including humans - or want to add G.I. Joes.
Transformers One Proved Why The Franchise Doesn’t Need Humans
The Transformers Are More Than Capable Of Leading A Movie
Some audiences might expect humanity to interact withTransformers One’s versions of the iconic Autobots and Decepticons due to their prevalence in the live-action films. The truth is that the 2024 animated movie proved this isn’t necessary. The film did an excellent job developing Optimus Prime, Megatron, Bumblebee, Elita, and even supporting characters like Starscream or Sentinel Prime.Transformers Onelaid the foundation for future installments to continue to build on this basis and expand on their characterizations without humanity becoming a needless distraction.
This should allow anyTransformers Onesequels to keep the focus on Optimus Prime and Megatron’s evolution as leaders. This is the story that audiences responded so well to, whereas those with a bogged-down human subplot have not always been well-received. The live-action films might need the human characters to actually make the movies possible from a Hollywood perspective, butTransformers Oneis evidence that they aren’t necessary for this story. That makes the confirmation that humans don’t even exist yet a reassuring sign of the franchise’s direction.
