Michael Bay is finally coming back toTransformersseven years after he last made a movie in Paramount’s live-action franchise. The series continued on without him behind the helm, with two live-action films and one animated movie being made, although he was more involved as a producer onTransformers: Rise of the Beasts.
After that film continued the franchise’s downward spiral at the box office, it’s no surprise that reports have now revealed thatMichael Bay is developing a newTransformersmovie. If the film makes it through Paramount’s development cycle, there is a good chance that he will direct it.
The return of the director who launched the wildly successful franchise makes sense for all involved. Yet, it also comes at a time whentheTransformersfranchise is in a state of disarray. That’s not only due to the box office, but also a result of the series' canon and continuity becoming increasingly confusing over the years.
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Transformers One(2024)
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Bay is not free of this criticism either, as the inconsistencies and plot holes go back to how he managed the universe throughout the five films he directed. That problem has only grown without him, which puts the franchise in an odd space as it brings back a familiar voice.
The Transformers Franchise Needs A Full Reset
Can Anyone Make Sense Of It?
TheTransformersmovies never tried to be a carefully planned out cinematic universe with an overarching story, as Bay’s philosophy always meant the films played fast and loose with continuity. By the timeTransformers: The Last Knightcame out, thefull history of the Autobots and Decepticonsbecame too confusing to follow.
That’s part of the reason Paramount looked to soft-reboot the franchise without Bay.BumblebeeandTransformers: Rise of the Beastsare not prequels to Bay’s movies, but that delineation was not immediately clear at first. But the G1 accurate designs and unwillingness to completely lose some of the “Bayisms” meant that there was still some sense that all the movies are connected.
Now that Michael Bay is coming back, how his movie slots into the franchise becomes a major question. Will it pick up afterThe Last Knightand continue his continuity, possibly moving the franchise further downBay’s 14Transformersmovie plan? Will it build offRise of the Beastsand be a 2000s-set prequel? Will it be theG.I. Joe crossover, or could it be something else entirely?
There are too many different options on the table, soParamount and Bay would be smart to eliminate any chance for confusion and offer audiences a fresh start. Michael Bay’sTransformersmovie could completely reset the IP. Just as he did in 2007, the director can launch a new era for the Autobots on the big screen.
Michael Bay’s Transformers Movie Will Be Better Off With A Clean Slate
It Frees Him Up Completely
Assuming that Michael Bay’s in-development film is the next one to come from Paramount, it will be the eighth live-actionTransformersmoviemade in roughly two decades. There have been hits, but also plenty of misses. And that creates a lot of baggage with the franchise, as well as what audiences could perceive as “homework” to understand the next chapter.
What this movie needs to be, above all else, is aTransformersmovie everyone can see
It would be a better decision to freeTransformersfrom this by letting the franchise completely reboot. Audiences haven’t responded to anything the franchise has done recently, sothere is no clear direction the studio or Bay should feel pressured to follow. What this movie needs to be, above all else, is aTransformersmovie everyone can see.
It makes more sense to let Bay have another crack at starting the franchise and relaunching Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Megatron, and others for a new audience. Disregarding previous storylines, characters, continuity, etc. may upset some, but it’s what is best for the franchise’s longevity.
After all, ifMichael Bay’s return toTransformerscan’t help put butts in theater seats and his movie fails at the box office too, then this could be the last one we see in this series for a long time.
Michael Bay’s Return Makes A Transformers Franchise Reset Complicated
The Bayverse Could Continue Now
While I’m arguing for a complete reset under Michael Bay’s leadership, his return also makes that a lot more complicated forTransformersto pull off.
One of the immediate reactions to come from his potential return was calls forShia LaBeouf’s Sam Witwickyto return (even though he canonically died afterDark of the Moon). Calls for Megan Fox’s Mikaela Banes, Josh Duhamel’s Captain Lennox, John Turturro’s Seymour Simmons, Tyrese Gibson’s Robert Epps, or Mark Wahlberg’s Cade Yeager to return may also come.
There will certainly be a temptation by Bay and Paramount to have this newTransformersmovie bring back elements of the movies that were most successful. Having Bay’s action filmmaking and name behind it is one way to do that. Bringing back characters audiences know and grew up with is another.
It’s far too early to know what direction Michael Bay will takeTransformersagain. He could look to build onThe Last Knightand do his version of Unicron. Maybe after seeing the Maximals in action, he’ll want to do his own version of them. I’d even be intrigued by him handling the G.I. Joe crossover idea, although that wouldn’t reset the franchise.
There’s even a world where he continues his continuity while introducing new human characters. This would allow him to re-establish his era ofTransformersas the definitive section of the franchise while not having to be overly connected to what came before. But, that would also still somewhat limit the direction the film can take.
If Michael Bay is going to come back toTransformers, he needs to do it his way and without any concerns of canon or connectivity to past or future films. His new film being a clean slate for the IP and audiences should be the way to go.
