[UPDATE: It's Official - Prepare for Transformers: Age of Extinction!!!!]

Transformers 4 has been surrounded in secrecy during its production. Director Michael Bay returned to the franchise in order to launch a new (semi-rebooting) chapter of the Transformers saga, which he will then (allegedly) pass off to a new director and creative team. So far we have new human characters in the form of Mark Wahlberg's gear-head/inventor character, Flynn Vincent; Flynn's hot rod enthusiast daughter played by Nicola Peltz (Bates Motel) and her speed-racing love interest played by Jack Reynor  (What Richard Did). We also know that in addition to returning favorites like Optimus Prime and Bumblebee, the actual Transformers might see new additions like Slingshot and Drift, Hound - possibly even Nemesis Prime or Ultra Magnus.

But what about those lingering rumors that the fan-favorite Dinobots could be in TF4 - and what is the official subtitle to this fourth film? Today's update may help answer questions on both those fronts.

Over the weekend, Fusible picked up on a story involving the brand protection agency that oversaw the registration of the domain name TransformersDarkoftheMoon.com when the third film was released. The studio is allegedly once again registering various domain names in anticipation of the Transformers 4's release next summer, with the following candidates being listed by Fusible:

  • TransformersApocalypse.com
  • TransformersLastStand.com

HOWEVER, Transformers World 2005  also makes the claim that the following subtitle has ALSO been registered with Hasbro:

  • Transformers: Age of Extinction

Of the the three, I personally find "Age of Extinction" to be the most likely. The fact that Bay has repeatedly made it clear that TF4 is a new beginning makes "Apocalypse" or "Last Stand" feel a bit off the mark - with "Last Stand" seeming particularly troublesome, given its proximity to that similarly-titled Arnold Schwarzenegger comeback vehicle that flopped at the box office early this year. Of course, there is another factor to consider: The Dinobots.

We've heard continued rumors and speculation that the Dinobots will make a major appearance in TF4 - and producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura recently added major fuel to that fire when he told Beijing News the following when discussing China's role in the movie:

"I can not disclose the specifics, but you can be sure that the joining of the Dinobots will give the audience new excitement. In addition to Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, the appearance of these classic roles changed, today the world's coolest, most exciting cars will appear in the film, including China's vehicles, whether you are a car enthusiast, you will feast your eyes and be shocked by them."

Transformers 4 Movie Logo

Is that confirmation that the Dinobots are in the film? Certainly sounds like it. Others are also pointing to some recent set photos (SEE them HERE) which have the production crew sporting hats with TF4 logos - logos which seem to have claw marks in them, presumably teasing the Dinobots' appearance. Given all that evidence that Dinobots will be in the film - and leaked alleged plot spoilers that fit in line with the clues we've seen so far - it seems that "Age of Extinction" would be a most fitting title for two reasons:

  1. "Age of Extinction" could refer to a history involving the Dinobots (who would be resurrected from long dormancy or death). 
  2. The subtitle could also refer to the rumored deaths/transformations that certain characters (like Megatron) could go through - a "changing of the guard" for the franchise.

Resident Evil already has its "Apocalypse" and Schwarzenegger already has his "Last Stand" - so when the dust settles and official confirmation is out, don't be surprised if "Transformers: Age of Extinction" is soon covering billboards and TV screens in your area.

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Transformers 4 will be in theaters on June 27, 2014. We'll keep updated on the official character list and subtitle.

Sources: FusibleTransformers World 2005 & Beijing News (via Coming Soon); Seibertron

Header Image Source: Mr. Droy D5DrSex @ Deviant Art