Michael Bay to direct TF4 - Peter Cullen returns as Optimus

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

I really like when he is not characterized as a one dimensional, predictable, invulnerable character - that's boring and doesn't allow for growth of said character. Why should he be fixed in a stereotype? I want him to return for TF4.

If it's character development and depth you're after you might want to pass on the Bay movies. I'm just saying...

Do you think they could afford a voice actor for Bumblebee this time? It's like he's just a big robot puppy with guns and not a real character anymore.

My vote goes to Robin Williams.

[Megatron]

If it's character development and depth you're after you might want to pass on the Bay movies. I'm just saying...

Animated is ok. No to BW (not the same character, and I'm not a fan of the series).

I know Megs mostly likely would not be given that kind of development in TF4, especially if directed by Bay and especially if the movie follows a similar style to the previous live-action movies... but I would rather have Megatron return and continue to be a part of the TFs mythos for as long as it exists, than not have him around. I may very well have to pass on TF4, but I don't want to.

Thank you for your input Grasshopper; I do appreciate it from a fellow Transfan, and I hope I'm not pissing anyone off with my view points, as that's not my intent, I only want to stay honest because I do feel kinda strongly about the subject.

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

Fair 'nuff, no series is for everyone. BW Megs is my all-time favourite TF character, but again he won't be to everyone's taste.

Also to be fair, Bay is very good at what he does, it's just that what he does isn't character and/or plot depth/development. If you want a mindless, explosion-filled action flick with some nice lead-female butt shots then aside from being overly long his TF movies fit the bill quite well - much like Star Wars Episode 3 is actually quite an entertaining movie when you skip all the boring plot and romance bits. IMO there's a place for popcorn flicks that you can just turn your brain off and enjoy watching as well as sweeping narratives, it is nice to just zone out for a while and enjoy watching things blow up sometimes - case in point, I'm playing Just Cause 2 atm and absolutely loving it. When Bay gets around to making Bikini Babe Explosion Squad - Trampolines of Terror I'll probably check it out, but when it comes to character and plot depth I'll look to filmmakers who worry about that sort of thing, and/or replay the Thief series.

By all means let him bring back Megatron, as has been noted it's what the general public knows and expects, but it's still kinda dodgy to definitively off a lead villain and pseudo-magically revive him once, let alone twice. But again, that only matters if you treat it as a semi-serious narrative rather than as a vehicle for sexy butt shots and explosions. Personally, I'm quite content to just take advantage of the occasional awesome toys (RotF Bludgeon especially springs to mind) that come from the Movie line and be happy with that.

I cannot think of a way that Megatron can be resurrected in a way that just doesn't seem totally contrived.

Optimus Prime: "Megatron, you're back! But... how?"
Megatron: "A wizard did it."

I prefer this idea myself, but it'd need the right soundtrack too.

[GoktimusPrime]

Hasbro's focus on movie toys seems haphazard... they allowed Dreamworks to develop Mirage/Dino, but didn't bother to develop a proper action figure for that toy themselves. They also never bothered to release Deluxe Leadfoot, Quejack and Soundwave for their markets either. :/

I can deal with Megatron in flashbacks... that's fine. Then Megatron could pump out repaints of existing moulds and call them, "Shadow Command Old Timey Megatron" etc. (hey, it wouldn't be any weirder than some of the other repaint concepts they've come up with before!)

Also to be fair, Bay is very good at what he does, it's just that what he does isn't character and/or plot depth/development. If you want a mindless, explosion-filled action flick with some nice lead-female butt shots then aside from being overly long his TF movies fit the bill quite well

In other words... a story I agree that his movies are loaded with lots of "WHHOOOAA!!" cool bells and whistles, but strip that all away and what do you have? The Christopher Nolan Batman movies have lots of cool bells and whistles too - but beneath that lies great stories that would still be great without them. Ditto The Lord of the Rings (indeed they started off as novels, which many would argue are still better than the films anyway).

- much like Star Wars Episode 3 is actually quite an entertaining movie when you skip all the boring plot and romance bits.

replied here

IMO there's a place for popcorn flicks that you can just turn your brain off and enjoy watching as well as sweeping narratives, it is nice to just zone out for a while and enjoy watching things blow up sometimes - case in point, I'm playing Just Cause 2 atm and absolutely loving it. When Bay gets around to making Bikini Babe Explosion Squad - Trampolines of Terror I'll probably check it out, but when it comes to character and plot depth I'll look to filmmakers who worry about that sort of thing, and/or replay the Thief series.

Yeah but from a Transformers fan's POV it sucks how Transformers can't be elevated to something better than just a popcorn flick/rollercoaster ride style film. Because we know that Transformers can be so much more than meets the eye.

[Megatron]

Optimus Prime: "Megatron, you're back! But... how?"
Megatron: "Hasbro did it."

Fair 'nuff, no series is for everyone. BW Megs is my all-time favourite TF character, but again he won't be to everyone's taste.

Also to be fair, Bay is very good at what he does, it's just that what he does isn't character and/or plot depth/development. If you want a mindless, explosion-filled action flick with some nice lead-female butt shots then aside from being overly long his TF movies fit the bill quite well - much like Star Wars Episode 3 is actually quite an entertaining movie when you skip all the boring plot and romance bits. IMO there's a place for popcorn flicks that you can just turn your brain off and enjoy watching as well as sweeping narratives, it is nice to just zone out for a while and enjoy watching things blow up sometimes - case in point, I'm playing Just Cause 2 atm and absolutely loving it. When Bay gets around to making Bikini Babe Explosion Squad - Trampolines of Terror I'll probably check it out, but when it comes to character and plot depth I'll look to filmmakers who worry about that sort of thing, and/or replay the Thief series.

Yep - I guess we'll never have both great action and a quality storyline in a TF live-action movie, which is sad.

Oh I have Just Cause 2 - haven't played it yet.

By all means let him bring back Megatron, as has been noted it's what the general public knows and expects, but it's still kinda dodgy to definitively off a lead villain and pseudo-magically revive him once, let alone twice.

I agree. It would take a very talented writer to pull that one off in a way that is both acceptable and believable.

I prefer this idea myself, but it'd need the right soundtrack too.

lol... that was heartwarming, thanks... love the last line there too, "It's Hook or me this time..." I don't think the soundtrack is right, though. Something from RotF (or DotM) movie soundtrack would be better suited.

The movies may well introduce more villains, or have Megatron playing a minor role (even if it is a flashback, just to have him on screen)... but the point I was trying to make was from Hasbro's perspective - no matter what Bay does, they will want to sell as many toys as possible, and that means Optimus, Bumblebee and Megatron.

Look at TF2 & TF3 - as people have pointed out above, Megatron was a sidekick to The Fallen and Sentinel Prime.... but who had more toys and merchandise in the stores?
The Fallen had...
a Voyager toy (in three colour versions),
a Legends toy,
a Robot Replica,
and a Robot Heroes figurine. That's it.

What did Megatron have for TF2?
A Leader mould (done twice),
a new Voyager mould,
a redeco of the 2007 Voyager mould,
a Legion mould (done at least twice between US & JP),
a FAB mould,
a Powerbot,
an Activator,
a Robot Replica,
three different Robot Heroes figurines,
a Battle Charger,
a Speedstars Stealth Force vehicle,
and an RPMs/Speedstars Mini-vehicle (done four times).

The ratio is closer for TF3 between the Megatron and Sentinel Prime toys... but was still in favour of Megatron (7 to 6 - there were over 150 TF3 toys but only 13 were of the two main villains), making Megatron the bigger "villain" cash-cow for Hasbro.

That was my point - ignoring how well someone else can be written in as a character, or how much Bay wants someone new (since he keeps trying to get rid of Megatron), Hasbro will make sure that Megatron is on screen in some way (flashback or in the story), so that they can sell more Decepticon toys, to the kids and parents that Hasbro "feeds off".

The proof is the excessive number of Bumblebee and Optimus toys... produced for the majority of consumers who aren't fans (returning consumers).

I don't think anyone misunderstood your original point. And for me if that's what it takes to have Megatron in future movies, then I hope that Hasbro's money-making motivations win over Bay.

Still... there was no DotM Megatron leader toy... and it's my favorite design of all the 3 movies...

I can deal with Megatron in flashbacks... that's fine. Then Megatron could pump out repaints of existing moulds and call them, "Shadow Command Old Timey Megatron" etc. (hey, it wouldn't be any weirder than some of the other repaint concepts they've come up with before!)

I don't want flashbacks. I'd be happy even if he just had a minor role, and a new villain was introduced (like they did with the Fallen)... better that than not at all.

Yeah but from a Transformers fan's POV it sucks how Transformers can't be elevated to something better than just a popcorn flick/rollercoaster ride style film. Because we know that Transformers can be so much more than meets the eye.

Agreed, but it's better than nothing I guess.

[Defcon]

I don't want flashbacks. I'd be happy even if he just had a minor role, and a new villain was introduced (like they did with the Fallen)... better that than not at all.
.

I could handle flashbacks. There could be a scene where optimus is at a memorial, and he is remembering the War on cybertron, the early days of the war. Could be like the Siege of Iacon, Megatron leads an army inside, and then Optimus and Megatron clash in combat.
Besides a new villian could spout all kinds of references to the reign of Megatron, saying he was a weakling and a coward, and so on. So Megatron wont be completely absent or forgotten. Which is something I would welcome.

[Megatron]

bleh.. but I wants moar than just flashbacks and references...

You know, for a good portion of the past five years or so (since the Bay movies came out)... you would NEVER have seen me advocating for the return of Bayverse Megatron, or anything Bayverse for that matter - oh, how I hated what he did with the franchise... but, to cut a long and personal story short, I have turned right around on some things. I still can't stand Bay's directing techniques... but now I actually like Bayverse Megs, to the point where I would now be sad to see the last of him.

[griffin]

The movies may well introduce more villains, or have Megatron playing a minor role (even if it is a flashback, just to have him on screen)... but the point I was trying to make was from Hasbro's perspective - no matter what Bay does, they will want to sell as many toys as possible, and that means Optimus, Bumblebee and Megatron.

Look at TF2 & TF3 - as people have pointed out above, Megatron was a sidekick to The Fallen and Sentinel Prime.... but who had more toys and merchandise in the stores?
The Fallen had...
a Voyager toy (in three colour versions),
a Legends toy,
a Robot Replica,
and a Robot Heroes figurine. That's it.

What did Megatron have for TF2?
A Leader mould (done twice),
a new Voyager mould,
a redeco of the 2007 Voyager mould,
a Legion mould (done at least twice between US & JP),
a FAB mould,
a Powerbot,
an Activator,
a Robot Replica,
three different Robot Heroes figurines,
a Battle Charger,
a Speedstars Stealth Force vehicle,
and an RPMs/Speedstars Mini-vehicle (done four times).

The ratio is closer for TF3 between the Megatron and Sentinel Prime toys... but was still in favour of Megatron (7 to 6 - there were over 150 TF3 toys but only 13 were of the two main villains), making Megatron the bigger "villain" cash-cow for Hasbro.

That was my point - ignoring how well someone else can be written in as a character, or how much Bay wants someone new (since he keeps trying to get rid of Megatron), Hasbro will make sure that Megatron is on screen in some way (flashback or in the story), so that they can sell more Decepticon toys, to the kids and parents that Hasbro "feeds off".

The proof is the excessive number of Bumblebee and Optimus toys... produced for the majority of consumers who aren't fans (returning consumers).

[Sky Shadow]

Hasbro will make sure that Megatron is on screen in some way (flashback or in the story), so that they can sell more Decepticon toys, to the kids and parents that Hasbro "feeds off".

The proof is the excessive number of Bumblebee and Optimus toys... produced for the majority of consumers who aren't fans (returning consumers).

That said, Hasbro's supposed belief that "Toy sales were weak on DOTM due to same characters in all three movies" may theoretically do something towards reversing their traditional supersaturation marketing strategy (which we all hate).