Wizard Universe speculates who will show up:
By now, we’ve all recovered from the metal-wrenching, senses-pounding spectacle that was Michael Bay’s “Transformers.” Now, it’s time to start counting down to the next installment in the robot-on-robot saga! With Bay on board to direct, most of the human cast signed to a multi-picture deal and a June 26, 2009, release date pinned down, speculation about which Transformers will join the 13 established robots from the first film is running wild. While we can assume Prime, Bumblebee and the rest will return, new Transformers are practically a guarantee, if only to sell more toys. (Plus, someone’s got to take Jazz’s spot, y’know, now that he’s dead.) Here’s who we hope will make an appearance, with comments by the first movie’s creative team!
SOUNDWAVEMECH SPECS: If Megatron is the Darth Vader of the Decepticons, Soundwave is Boba Fett. The badass lieutenant with the computerized voice, this fan favorite turns into a cassette player and can eject tapes that turn into more Decepticons! Imagine this cold, calculating soldier unleashing robot after robot after robot from the door on his chest—including a frickin’ jaguar! He’s a one-man army!
WORD ON THE STREET: “Soundwave was originally in the movie,” says screenwriter Alex Kurtzman of the first “Transformers” flick, which featured an evil CD player named Frenzy. “But as the story evolved, it became clear that we weren’t gonna be able to make him work, and we went, ‘Let’s save this for when we can do it right.’”
DEVASTATORMECH SPECS: Take six massive, transforming construction vehicles and bolt them together to form one super-robot. This rampaging “gestalt” form of the Constructicons (the first Transformers combiners) made Voltron look like a box of kittens. Remember how huge Optimus Prime was? Devastator could pick him up and throw him around like a rag doll. Worth $15 for a ticket and some popcorn? We think so.
WORD ON THE STREET: “I had some great designs, certain combiner stuff,” says director Bay of the first film. “Wow. It was really awesome, but it was just something that I thought we needed to save for the second one.” One thing he didn’t save: the name “Devastator.” The tank from the first flick who’s publicly known as “Brawl” is called “Devastator” onscreen! Hopefully, that won’t cause naming issues down the road.
BLITZWINGMECH SPECS: A Triple-Changer, Blitzwing can transform into a fighter jet and a tank, which makes him deadlier than most Decepticons. A literal triple threat, Blitzwing could wipe out Autobots from the sky and on the ground. He’s got speed and firepower! Also, he’s got a pretty awesome name.
WORD ON THE STREET: Nobody has said word one about Blitzwing, or any of the Triple-Changers, for that matter…which makes us wonder if anybody over there knows about these guys. They have three changes! Three! Plus, Blitzwing will be a regular on 2008’s new “Transformers Animated” cartoon!
UNICRONMECH SPECS: The size and shape of a small moon, this Transformer travels the galaxy devouring other planets, and he once took a bite out of the Autobots’ homeworld of Cybertron. (He also possesses an excellent robo-stache.) Awe-inspiring in his animated form in the 1986 “Transformers” movie, Unicron would only inspire more awe in CGI. Imagine him getting his meathooks on Earth!
WORD ON THE STREET: While the idea of a planetary threat that only the Autobots can stop is tailor-made for a movie (heck, it was a movie), no one has mentioned Uni. Maybe they think having a world-devourer in the second film would set the bar too high for film No. 3? Tell that to “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.”
ARCEEMECH SPECS: Even giant robots can be sex symbols. The curvaceous Autobot known as Arcee turned into a pink, futuristic car and was the only female Transformer for a long time, making her an object of lust for Transfans and cyberfetishists alike. Sure, Megan Fox is fun to look at and all, but don’t we all want to see Bumblebee get some?
WORD ON THE STREET: According to the writers, Arcee was originally slated to appear in the first movie! “We were gonna make her a motorcycle,” reveals screenwriter Roberto Orci. “Just the idea of a female Transformer is such a cool, big idea, there just wasn’t enough room to serve the idea properly.” Expect to see a female Transformer on the big screen even sooner than we saw the first female Ninja Turtle.
THE DINOBOTSMECH SPECS: Robots in disguise? Only if “dinosaur” is a disguise. Grimlock, Snarl and company turn into mechanical tyrannosauri, stegosauri and the like, and they’re just a little meaner—and dumber—than your average Autobot. Sure, you lose a little bit of the “surprise” factor, but who doesn’t want to see a robot turn into a dinosaur and bite another robot’s head off?
WORD ON THE STREET: “I’ve got some ideas on how to make the Dinobots work and really make it make sense,” says producer Tom DeSanto. “I think that the end result was cool, but their origin was kind of like, ‘Eh.’ So we’d need to rethink some of those things for a sequel.” Here’s hoping they find a way, because robot dinosaurs would sell tickets.
I'm for all those choices except two: Unicron and Arcee.
While Unicron would be an awesome idea, we don't want to jump into a storyline with the big planet eater so bloody quickly, especially when the REST of the Transformers in the movie franchise haven't been introduced yet! Break Unicron in slowly...once we get to know more Bots and Cons, THEN have that massive movie when they're all fighting Unicron!
And please, no Arcee. We do NOT need a female bot to pull in female audiences and help them relate. The movie was good enough to attract female audiences WITHOUT a female bot already! And who's she going to be the romantic interest of? Bumblebee? Please.
