All Upcoming Transformers Movies Explained

Paramount has big plans for the future of Hasbro’s popular toy line, with many upcoming Transformers movies planned after 2023’s Rise of the Beasts. The studio is developing multiple Transformers movies that will be released in the next several years. Michael Bay helped launch the Transformers franchise in 2007 with Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox in the lead human roles. Although Fox left after just two films, LaBeouf’s Sam Witwicky remained the focus for the first trilogy. During this era of the Transformers movies, the series achieved peak popularity, as Transformers: Dark of the Moon made more than $1.1 billion at the box office worldwide (via Box Office Mojo).

The Transformers movies entered a new era without LaBeouf with Transformers: Age of Extinction, as Mark Wahlberg became the face of the Transformers movies. He returned to star in the fifth film, Transformers: The Last Knight, which proved to be the end of Michael Bay’s time with the franchise. 2018 saw Bumblebee hit theaters with Hailee Steinfeld in the lead. The movie was a moderate financial hit but received strong critical reviews. With Transformers: Rise of the Beasts bringing in new human leads in Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback, the upcoming Transformers movies will be the start of the next chapter of the cinematic franchise.

Transformers 8

The Sequel To Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts

Paramount has already confirmed that Transformers 8 is in the works as part of a new trilogy that Transformers: Rise of the Beasts kicked off. Details on the eighth movie are scarce at the moment. It is not confirmed if Steven Caple Jr. will return to direct the film or if Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback’s characters will return. However, both options seem possible with its early confirmation. The next upcoming Transformers movie should continue the story established in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Transformers 8 does not have a release date yet, but the early announcement could mean it arrives in the next few years.

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Transformers 9

The Final Of The Rise Of The Beasts Trilogy

In addition to Paramount’s plans for an eighth film, Transformers 9 is also in development to wrap up the new trilogy commenced by Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Like its immediate predecessor, there are no further details on what the upcoming Transformers movies are about or who will be involved. It should be expected the movie will expand the Beast Wars universe in some fashion. This could include the threat Unicron possesses after his story was left open in Rise of the Beasts. Paramount has not announced a Transformers 9 release date, but it likely won’t arrive until 2028 or 2029 unless it is filmed back-to-back with Transformers 8.

Transformers One

An Upcoming Animated Transformers Movie

Paramount also has an animated Transformers movie in development. Transformers One is directed by Toy Story 4‘s Josh Cooley and has been in development for several years. Of the upcoming Transformers movies, this one goes back to the basic Autobots vs Deceptions battles. Specifically, Transformers One will tell the origin stories of both Optimus Prime and Megatron and show them as younger bots, the movie exploring their relationship.

Chris Hemsworth voices Optimus Prime and Brian Tyree Henry voices Megatron. Paramount confirmed Transformers One will arrive in theaters on September 13, 2024. Also joining the cast of the new movie is Scarlett Johansson as Elita-One, Keegan-Michael Key as Bumblebee, Jon Hamm as Sentinel Prime, and Laurence Fishburne as Alpha Trion.

Bumblebee 2

A Possible Sequel To Bumblebee

Paramount was also at one point developing Bumblebee 2. The sequel to 2018’s movie was reportedly in the works shortly after its release and positive reception. No writer was ever revealed for the project, although it was believed that Joby Harold’s Transformers script was a Bumblebee sequel. This turned out to be Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, which makes it unclear if a proper Bumblebee follow-up is still in the cards. A direct Bumblebee sequel featuring Hailee Steinfeld’s Charlie seems unlikely based on what happened at the end of the last movie, which involved Bumblebee‘s canon-disrupting ending.

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Will Michael Bay’s Transformers: The Last Knight Sequel Happen?

Are Michael Bay’s Transformers Movies Over?

There was also a lingering question surrounding new Transformers movies about the possibility of Transformers: The Last Knight getting a sequel. Michael Bay and Paramount had plans to make sixth and seventh installments of the franchise to build off the movie’s events. It was shortly after Transformers: The Last Knight‘s release that plans changed. The result has been the Bay era of movies taking a backseat. However, Paramount could revisit the idea of continuing the Transformers franchise in the present day at a later point, even if that means pushing forward without Michael Bay’s involvement. However, with Unicron an important part of Beast Wars, Michael Bay’s movies likely won’t happen.

The New Transformers Movies Won’t Feature LaBeouf Or Wahlberg

Noah Will Lead The New Transformers Movies

Despite there being new Transformers movies on the cards, none of them will feature a Shia LaBeouf return, and Mark Wahlberg’s also reportedly done with the Transformers franchise. The initial decision not to return came from Labeouf, who felt that Sam’s story was complete and had run its course. This didn’t sit massively well with viewers though. Wahlberg is also through with his portrayal of Cade Yeager, with reports as far back as 2017 confirming at a charity screening of Transformers: The Last Knight that it was his final offering (via boston.com). The idea of non-Michael-Bay Transformers movies didn’t appeal to him.

That being said, neither lead was ever really going to upstage the giant, clattering Autobots and Decepticons, so it was easy for the Transformers movies to invest some creative energy into its leads and provide a robust human element to counterbalance the presence of the Bots, which Rise of the Beasts did with Anthony Ramos’ character Noah. It was also necessary to make the changes since the Rise of the Beasts movie took place in the past, and only Charlie from Bumblebee could have logistically returned. Whether Noah returns for the rest of the trilogy remains to be seen.