The live-action Transformers franchise has delivered unforgettable characters, spectacular transformations, and some of the biggest action sequences in modern blockbuster filmmaking.

But after nearly two decades, many fans still face the same problems: unclear continuity, inconsistent characterization, abandoned storylines, and uncertainty about where the franchise is going next.

With another Transformers movie now being developed, this is the right time to establish a stronger foundation.

We are asking Paramount, Hasbro, and future filmmakers for a clear, consistent, character-driven direction that audiences can confidently follow from one movie to the next.

1. Clearly Establish the Continuity

The next live-action Transformers movie is now confirmed to take place in the modern day, following the historical settings of Bumblebee in 1987 and Rise of the Beasts in 1994.

Earlier reporting described Jason Fuchs’ screenplay as continuing the story after Rise of the Beasts, but Paramount has not yet clearly explained exactly where the movie fits within the live-action timeline.

Please clarify that before the franchise moves forward.

If the new movie directly continues the Bumblebee/Rise of the Beasts continuity, then use the move to the present day to develop what happened in the years between them:

• How did Optimus and the Autobots adapt to Earth?
• What happened on Cybertron?
• Where are the Decepticons?
• How did Bumblebee and the other Autobots change?
• What became of Mirage, Arcee, the Maximals, Noah, and Elena?
• What are the consequences of Unicron surviving?
• If the new film instead establishes a different continuity, clearly communicate that decision.

Fans should not have to debate for years about which movies are canon.

It should simple for the studio to choose the continuity, explain it clearly, and build upon it consistently.

2. Make the Transformers True Main Characters

Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Arcee, Mirage, Megatron, Starscream, Soundwave, and other Cybertronians should be more than impressive visual effects.

Give them personalities, friendships, rivalries, beliefs, disagreements, losses, and meaningful development.

Let Autobots interact with each other outside battle.

Give Decepticons understandable motivations and relationships.

Human characters can remain important, but the Transformers themselves should never feel secondary in a franchise named after them.

3. Let One Movie Matter to the Next

Characters should grow because of what happened before.

If Optimus changes after his experiences on Earth, show that development.

Allow Bumblebee and the other Autobots to mature.

If Megatron enters the current storyline, develop his history and ideological conflict with Optimus rather than treating him as simply another villain.

Resolve abandoned setups—including the cancelled G.I. Joe crossover—without creating another continuity problem.

Development should replace constant reinvention.

4. Create a Long-Term Story Plan

Different directors should still have creative freedom, but the franchise needs a basic roadmap.

Paramount and Hasbro should establish:

the continuity and major Cybertronian history;
important character relationships;
which previous events remain canon;
the status of the Autobots and Decepticons;
and the larger direction of the story.
A new filmmaker should be able to bring fresh ideas without contradicting everything established before.

The goal is not to make every movie identical.

The goal is to make them feel like chapters of the same story.

5. Balance Spectacle With Character

The live-action movies should remain spectacular.

Keep the enormous battles, transformations, alien worlds, Cybertronian technology, and blockbuster scale.

But those moments become much more powerful when audiences care about the characters involved.

Bumblebee demonstrated how effective the franchise can be when relationships and emotion receive room to breathe. The earlier films demonstrated the incredible scale live-action Transformers can achieve.

The future should combine those strengths:

spectacle with heart, action with consequences, and characters audiences want to follow.

Human characters should also have meaningful roles through engineering, rescue work, intelligence, science, and genuine partnerships with Autobots.

Future filmmakers could even explore voluntary human–Autobot co-pilot systems or other forms of “mecha-manship,” as long as Autobots remain fully sentient characters rather than machines controlled by humans.

Honor Peter Cullen and the Heart of Optimus Prime

As the franchise enters its next era, it should also respectfully honor the legacy of Peter Cullen.

For generations, Cullen gave Optimus Prime more than a powerful voice.

He gave him compassion, dignity, courage, patience, and restraint.

The principle behind his portrayal remains timeless:

“Be strong enough to be gentle.”

We ask future filmmakers to preserve that compassionate leadership and acknowledge the extraordinary contribution Peter Cullen made to Optimus Prime and the Transformers franchise.

Whoever carries the role forward should understand not only how Optimus sounds, but what Optimus represents.

Our Request

We are asking Paramount Pictures, Hasbro Entertainment, and future Transformers filmmakers for:

Clear continuity.
Consistent storytelling.
Stronger Autobot and Decepticon characterization.
A long-term creative direction.
Meaningful human–Transformer relationships.
Spectacle that serves the story.
Respect for Peter Cullen’s legacy.

The franchise does not need to keep starting over.

It needs to build upon itself.

Clarify the continuity. Develop the characters. Plan the future.

Please sign and share if you believe the live-action Transformers franchise deserves a clear, consistent, and character-driven future.