TheTransformers' universeis about to expand for the franchise’s 40th anniversary with the filmTransformers One. This is the first animated film in the franchise since 1986’sThe Transformers: The Movie. However, thefilm is in the same world as the live-action seriesstarted by directorMichael Bayin 2007. Set billions of years before that action-packed blockbuster, the story takes place on Cybertron. It willfocus on the relationship between Orion Pax (Optimus Prime) and D-16 (Megatron) when they were friends.
That’s a side to these two future enemies that mainstream moviegoers haven’t seen before. The friendship between the pair had only been alluded to in the core movies, but it has been the topic of many books, TV shows and games in the expandedTransformersuniverse. One is to lead up the eventual War of Cybertron and what would ultimately become the planet’s downfall. This is the spark that led the divided Autobots and Decepticons centuries later to Earth. WithSan Diego Comic Conunderway,theTransformers OneHall H panel gifted fans a sizzle reel, anew trailerand exclusive clips.
The Voices of ‘Transformers One’ Take the Stage
Another main difference from the live-action films is the voice cast. WhilePeter Cullenwon’t be returning as Optimus, in his place isChris Hemsworth, best known for his role as Thor in the MCU. He’s joined by other Marvel alum likeBrian Tyree Henryas Megatron,Scarlett Johanssonas Elita aka Arcee andLaurence Fishburneas Alpha Trion. Other cast members includeKeegan-Michael Keyas Bumblebee andSteve Buscemias Starscream. The panel had Hemsworth, Henry and Key on hand alongside directorJosh Cooleyand producerLorenzo di Bonaventura.
The latter described the story as “incredibly rich” while honing in on the fact that it’s all about the robots this time around with not a human in sight. Cooley, on the other hand, who got a “Tolkien-lengthTransformersbible” fromHasbro, talked about the emotional connection to the franchise, as the original series was something he used to watch with his brother. Again, bond and friendship are at the heart of this tale, with Henry saying, ”Losing a friend is one of the worst heartbreaks” because they’re like “family”. Key would add to that, “There’s a lot of levity, and there’s lots of deep, heartfelt moments”.
The ‘Transformers One’ Panel Showed Three Exclusive Sneak Peeks
The first sneak peek shows Cyberton’s version of the Olympics, the Iacon 5000, highlighting what’s fun about this planet and what life is like when everything is going well. Optimus Prime and Megatron watch excitedly from a prime (pun intended) spot Optimus has chosen, especially eager to see the star of the show: Sentinel Prime. After an introduction paying tribute to all the primes they lost in the past and how this event is a celebration of the enduring strength of Cybertron, an exciting race starts. Megatron watches giddily — before reluctantly being pulled in to compete. Optimus Prime drags him into the competition so they can show everyone that they, and miners in general, are “more than meets the eye.” They struggle and fall behind, at a disadvantage because of their lack of transforming powers, but they use creativity to hold their own, showing their tenacity and innovation.
The second features Optimus Prime and Megatron along with Bumblebee and Elita. The four of them get their transformation cogs from Alpha Trion (Laurence Fishburne), who tells them that what defines a transformer isn’t the cog in their chest but the spark in it — the desire to make the world better. What’s even more special is that the cogs have been taken from the old warriors who gave their lives long ago. “They were one. You are one. All are one,” Alpha Trion says, telling them that what they do with their newfound power is up to them. They can change the world — and they just might have to considering Cybertron’s future is in their hands. However, it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be easy. There’s clearly going to be a learning curve when learning to use this new skill, showcased when they clumsily try to escape a pack of enemies that Alpha Trion seems to handle with relative ease after transforming himself.
The final sneak peek sees the gang being woken up and interrogated by some iconic Deceptions, including Starscream (Steve Buscemi) and Soundwave, who reveal they were once the high guard who saw the primes fall and have been fighting in the shadows ever since. The Deceptions are suspicious that they’re spies and threaten to kill them. Optimus Prime explains that all he wants is a unified Cybertron, but Starscream says that’s a myth — all that matters is the strength of one bot over another. Megatron takes that personally, standing up to Starscream. He doesn’t pull any punches, but he does pull a weapon — something that scares Optimus Prime and forces him to step in. That fear is only intensified when Megatron rallies everyone to begin following him.
Transformers Oneis rolling out into theaters on July 14, 2025. The first live-actionTransformersfilm andTransformers: Rise of the Beastsare currently streaming on Paramount+.
Transformers One
Transformers One explores the origins of the iconic Autobots and Decepticons on their home planet of Cybertron. Set against a complex backdrop of alliances and betrayals, the film delves into the formative events and key figures that shaped these legendary factions, leading to their epic conflict.
