Transformers: Rise of the Beasts has already made some big improvements to the live-action Optimus Prime. Scheduled to release on June 9th, 2023, Transformers 7 is set in the mid-1990s and will pull heavily from the Beast Wars: Transformers cartoon. This was seen as an odd choice by some, since in Beast Wars Optimus Prime didn't play a role. In Transformers 7, Optimus Prime will be a central character for the first time since 2017’s Transformers: The Last Knight, and it looks like he’ll be a much more developed character (with an appearance closer to his classic look). When Transformers: Rise of the Beasts was first announced, it was teased that many of the robots – including Optimus Prime – would be getting new designs inspired by the original G1 cartoon.

In Transformers 7, Optimus Prime will be back in the protagonist’s seat, and the trailer has teased that he’ll be more engaging to watch than ever. The latest footage shows that the Beast Wars Optimus Prime character is returning to his G1 look. The Michael Bay Transformers movies received constant complaints about the robots themselves being too overdesigned, leading to characters who were hard to distinguish between, and that bore little resemblance to the iconic looks that made them so popular in the 80s and 90s. It seems that Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is fixing that issue, and the Optimus Prime new Transformer's movie footage has already got fans excited.

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Optimus Prime's New Look Is Encouraging

Optimus Prime in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.

With luck, the improved Transformers 7 Optimus Prime design will also end up being indicative of some better writing for the character. The Autobot leader was put through some bizarre storylines in Bay’s films, which ultimately pushed him away from what fans have historically loved about the character. Optimus Prime is a proud leader, a strong believer in freedom, and an incredibly loyal friend to his allies. It’s those qualities that have helped him remain so popular through the years, and it looks like that version of the Beast Wars Optimus Prime may be returning for Transformers 7.

Paramount has already announced that Optimus will have a major character arc in Rise of the Beasts that will explain how he became so fond of humanity. That’s a promising pitch for Optimus Prime's new Transformers movie role, and one that fits with his persona from the original cartoon. So far, the Rise of the Beasts footage has at least gotten his vehicle design right. Hopefully, aesthetics will be just one of many ways that Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is making Optimus Prime better.

Optimus Primal Gives Optimus Prime An Equal

Optimus Prime and Primal from Transformers Rise Of The Beasts.

While Optimus Prime will see a huge arc in Transformers 7, he'll be sharing the spotlight with Optimus Primal (voiced by Ron Perlman). Optimus Primal is the leader of the Maximals, a new faction for the live-action franchise, and he transforms into a giant armored gorilla. This will be the first time that Optimus Primal will be adapted to a live-action project, and the results already look phenomenal based on the trailer. However, the most exciting part about Optimus Primal isn't how he looks — it's that Optimus Prime has finally been given an equal.

It will be intriguing to see the dynamic between these two Transformers giants and how the G1-inspired Optimus Prime will fit into the Maximal's narrative. From the trailers, it seems that Primal is much more clued in on events behind the narrative than his Autobot counterpart. Presumably, Optimus Prime's character will somehow be informed by Optimus Primal, and Prime being the receiver, rather than imparter, of wisdom and insight will add vulnerability which fleshes out his character depth phenomenally. Seeing these two good guys band together brings both new life and nostalgia into Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, a balance that the old Transformers movies lost somewhere along the way.

Next: How Rise Of The Beasts Can Connect To Past Transformers Movies

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