We published this article in a similar form on November 1, 2020.
Die-hard Transformers fans like you and I have a hard truth to accept. In Bumblebee, the latest installment in the action series, little of what has happened with Transformers in cinemas since 2007 plays a role. Yes, the Dinobots practically never existed in the Bumblebee line. You can stream the spin-off, which also restarts the franchise, on Amazon *.
I’ll explain to you as clearly as possible what Bumblebee is for Transformers verse means.
Transformers history dates back to 65 million BC
First of all, let’s get into the Transformers chronicle, which extends to the Cretaceous-Paleogene and the dinosaurs, as drawn by the Michael Bay films from 2007 to 2017. Screen Rant wrote down this timeline:
© Paramount
Megan Fox in Transformers
These five Michael Bay films have built an intricate mythology. We learn how the Autobots and Decepticons influenced world and human history. We see about one alternate history of the moon landing (in Dark of the Moon), the Crusades and the Extinction of the Dinosaurs (in Age of Exitinction). The Transformers were personally responsible for the latter in this reality.
The problem: Bumblebee doesn’t care about any of that
Bumblebee is a soft reboot of the series that pretty much ignoring everything that happened before 1987 and after 2007. This is already clear in the turbulent intro on Cybertron. The Autobots, losing the war for their homeland, flee. Optimus Prime sends Bumblebee to Earth and treats this weird planet like he’s never heard of it. (Bumblebee action figure on Amazon *)
Bumblebee’s subsequent friendship with Charlie Watson (Hailee Steinfeld) is essentially a retelling of the story of Shia LaBeouf’s Sam Witwicky. Both are mutually exclusive because they take place in different universes or timelines. I have already described in more detail here what Bumblebee means for the relationship between the Autobots and humans.
Sam Witwicky and 65 million years of Transformers history before that, Bumblebee just burns away. And with good reason, as director Travis Knight admitted to Digital Spy
We wanted the audience don’t scare off with too much mythology. I wanted everyone to be able to go into this film and understand it, like it and enjoy it. I didn’t want to assume any familiarity with the franchise.
Still, Bumblebee clearly takes place in the familiar Transformers world. We see the familiar Sector 7 organization, Bumblebee has familiar designs, the sound effects sound like they do in the Michael Bay films, even some younger versions of familiar characters appear.
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It’s a deliberate compromise, says Knight: “It’s always been a balancing act. Are we tearing out too much of what fans of the franchise love? It was important […] that we respect the fans.”
What’s next in the Transformers universe after Bumblebee?
Obliteration sounds harsh, of course. If you want a more satisfying term for what Bumblebee is doing here with the beautiful Transformers mythologist, I have “parallel universe” for you. But we have to live with the fact that the ongoing story of Sam Witwicky and Cade Yeager will not be continued.
The next Transformers film is scheduled to hit theaters on June 24, 2022. Two projects are currently in development: A Beast Wars film about robots that can transform into robotic animals. That would be another spin off. And a Bumblebee sequel isn’t off the table either. Alternative 2 is set to take place in the Charlie Watson world.
When will the action hit Bumblebee be on TV?
Bumblebee is coming today at 8.15 p.m. on Sat.1. If you don’t have time, you can catch up on the film on June 6, 2022 at 3:05 p.m. The Transformers action has a running time of 114 minutes without commercials.
Action replenishment: The 22 biggest streaming films 2022 on Netflix and Co.
There are a few real highlights waiting for you in the streaming area this year. Netflix in particular has announced a host of promising films. In the podcast stream browsing, we give an overview of which projects the anticipation is particularly great.
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With genres such as science fiction, action, comedy, fantasy, animation and more, Netflix, Disney+ and AppleTV+ are guaranteed to have something for all tastes – whether you’re looking for the new film by Martin Scorsese, the next Disney remake or the film adaptation of yours favorite novel.
*The links to the Amazon offer are so-called affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, we will receive a commission.
What do you wish for the Transformers future?