Summary
I really enjoy Michael Bay’sTransformersmovies, but the upcoming animated prequel is the latest addition to the franchise that complicates matters when it comes to the canonical timeline of the Bayverse. Essentially, it all comes down towhereTransformers Onebelongs in the franchise timeline. AlthoughBay only directed the first fiveTransformersmoviesin his movie universe, he’s thankfully stayed on as producer during subsequent installments. The filmmaker has been pivotal to the franchise’s resurgence in the 21st century, but I think the huge success of the reboot has started to hurt his series.
Thetimeline for the live-actionTransformersmoviesbegan fairly straightforwardly, but as more additions have been made to the franchise, I’ve found that the overall continuity has become increasingly convoluted. While I initially found the approach to be a compelling way to flesh out the Bayverse, it’s now getting to the point whereI feel like the Bayverse is tripping over its own feet- but it could also be down to how well-received the earlier Bayverse movies were.
All Upcoming Transformers Movies Explained
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts arrived in 2023, and that set the table for several more movies in the franchise that will arrive down the line.
Transformers One’s Bayverse Connection Continues A Timeline Problem
A Transformers producer as used the Bayverse as a reference to when the upcoming movie is set
At San Diego Comic-Con 2024, whileTransformersproducer Lorenzo di Bonaventura was discussing whenTransformersOneis set, Screen Rant learned thatthe upcoming animated prequel takes place “3 billion years before” the otherTransformersmovieson which Bonaventura has worked. The producer has been attached to every live-actionTransformersmovie since 2007, so his comment suggests thatTransformers Oneis a hard prequel to those films. However, the animated project isn’t being marketed as such. So, I find myself scratching my head, trying to determine whetherTransformers Oneis a Bayverse movie.
WithTransformers Onetaking place long before any of the events in the original movies could have transpired, nothing is stopping it from being set within the same canon as earlier efforts from the Bayverse.
WithTransformers Onetaking place long before any of the events in the original movies could have transpired, nothing is stopping it from being set within the same canon as earlier efforts from the Bayverse. In addition, Bonaventura using the live-actionTransformersmovies as a reference point makesOne’s status as part of the Bayverse even more ambiguous.Similar scenarios played out for the release of 2018’sBumblebeeas well as 2023’sTransformers: Rise of the Beasts- both of which were only softly considered to be part of the Bayverse, but could easily have been reboots as well.
Why Transformers Still Can’t Let Go Of The Michael Bay Movies
The Bayverse has been a huge financial success
Beginning and sustaining a movie franchise isn’t easy, andthe Michael BayTransformersmovies hit the ground running. While I find they don’t stay particularly consistent in terms of quality, what I can’t deny is the franchise’s irrefutable financial success. So, I completely understand why subsequent entries in the series have continued to associate themselves with Michael Bay’sTransformersmovies. A hard reboot would mean admitting the first five live-action movies are part of a separate canon, and that could reduce interest among existing fans.
Why Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts Is A Reboot, Sequel & Prequel
Steven Caple Jr.’s Transformers: Rise of the Beast and seventh installment for the live-action franchise functions as a reboot, sequel, and prequel.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who sawBumblebeeandRise of the Beastsand found watching each movie to be a jarring experience, regardless of how entertained I was. The look and feel ofthe movies not directed by Michael Bay still maintain his signature aesthetic, and yet they feel like incredibly optional viewing in the broader Bayverse. They can still technically fall under the same banner as Bay is still involved as a producer, but it feels like a stretch - or just borderline incorrect - to include them as part of the Bayverse proper.
Transformers Movies Would Benefit From A True Fresh Start & New Timelines
The Bayverse needs to come to a true end
The washy status of the timeline for theTransformersmovies detracts a little from the enjoyment factor for me. Even if the same creative team remains involved, including Michael Bay, I think the franchise as a whole is overdue a hard reset.The Bayverse should come to a definitive end, even if only via a statement from Paramount if not in a movie. Then, the movies that are released after that point don’t need to acknowledge the earlier efforts. This is sort of the opposite of what is happening at the moment anyway.
It almost seems like the later films are intentionally skirting around the edges of the main Bayverse movies, all so they don’t have to admit they’re not directly connected to other installments.
Every post-BayTransformersmovie has been set in a year prior to the original movies, and they’ve not had to take into account the first five films. It almost seems like the later films are intentionally skirting around the edges of the main Bayverse movies, all so they don’t have to admit they’re not directly connected to other installments. They’re quietly standalone projects and are poorer as a result. By officially hitting the reset button, the writers would have much more creative freedom to tell the stories they want to tell.
Transformers One Is The Perfect Opportunity For A Standalone Story
Michael Bay’s latest Transformers story can convincingly be its own thing
Michael Bay is still credited as a producer for the upcoming animated movie. However,Transformers One’s trailer adopts a vastly different tone to the Bayverse, and even goes as far asreplacing Peter Cullen with Chris Hemsworth as the voice of Optimus Prime. However, the famous character goes by the name Orion Pax, asOneis set in a period before he took on the mantle of Optimus Prime. The story will be set so far in the distant past that it’ll be impossible to make it relevant to the other movies, so it’s a great chance to start afresh.
In a way, Paramount’s insistence on clinging to the Bayverse branding has actually hurt the later live-action movies.
Given the blurriness of which movies are part of the official Bayverse canon,I can easily imagine casualTransformersfans opting not to watchBumblebeeandRise of the Beastsif they haven’t kept up with the franchise. They may think they need to have seen every Bayverse movie to understand later entries, which just simply isn’t the case. So, in a way, Paramount’s insistence on clinging to the Bayverse branding has actually hurt the later live-action movies.
Transformers One: Everything You Need To Know
The animated feature film Transformers One brought the beloved franchise back to the big screen, and here’s everything to know about the hit film.
Transformers One’s incredibly different approach communicates its status as an isolated movie much better than the last two Bayverse-adjacent films. Newcomers will be just as happy watching the film as existing fans of the franchise will be. The change in medium from live-action to CGI animation also helps it stand apart from the Bayverse. I’ll find the previously unseen origin of Optimus Prime and Megatron’s status as enemies incredibly compelling, but I’d also be very surprised if there’s not a sequel if the movie does well. So, theTransformers"prequel" is the perfect chance to start a new timeline.
Transformers One
Cast
Transformers One is an animated action-adventure movie that marks the first animated feature-length film for the series in decades. The film will be a prequel to the franchise, and will tell the story of Optimus Prime and Megatron in their early years, how they met, and a closer look at the war on their home planet, Cybertron.
