An exciting new Transformers 7 theory contends Unicron is Rise of the Beasts' primary new villain in the upcoming Transformers sequel. Scheduled for a domestic June 9th, 2023 release, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is set to be both a Bumblebee sequel and the first chapter from the Transformers: Beast Wars narrative that makes up part of the overarching Transformers franchise story. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, therefore, will naturally introduce the Maximals, a group of Transformers who transform into robotic animals at will.

In addition to acting as the Maximals' origin story, director Steven Capale Jr.'s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will also flesh out Optimus Prime's history beyond Michael Bay's initial five Transformers movies. Following Optimus Prime and Bumblebee's reunion at the end of Bumblebee, Rise of the Beasts takes place seven years later in 1994 as a pair of archaeologists from Brooklyn stumble on an ancient conflict between three factions of Transformers: the Maximals, the Predacons, and the Terrorcons.

Related: Bumblebee 2: Why The Transformers Sequel Hasn't Happened

Yet despite the film's already sweeping plans to introduce three new robot factions into the fold in the midst of the Beast Wars, a popular Transformers: Rise of the Beasts theory states that Unicron will be Transformers 7's real villain. This idea primarily stems from Rise of the Beasts' set photos, which reveal the leader of the Terrorcons carrying Unicron's symbol on its hood. As a result, here's the Unicron is Rise of the Beasts' new villain theory explained and how Unicron connects to the Transformers: Beast Wars narrative.

Who Is Unicron? Backstory & Beast Wars Connection

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Simply put, Unicorn is the villain to end all villains in the Transformers franchise canon, and while his origins have varied across much of Transformers' continuity, the cataclysmic level of his threat remains unchanged. Unicron's originating point has expanded over the years from simply being a large robot to being a god of chaos who devours realities. The most recently accepted Transformers history states before the dawn of time, order and chaos existed within an extradimensional entity known as The One. To explore the fledgling universe, The One created Unicron before subdividing him, creating his twin, Primus, with the pair representing good and evil in the Transformers universe. As a result, Unicron naturally seeks to eradicate all Autobots throughout his Transformers appearances, often conscripting the lesser Decepticons and Terrorcons to do his nefarious bidding.

Canonically, Unicron has several ties to the Transformers: Beast Wars narratives through evil-aligned characters. In the original 1986 Transformers continuity, Unicron uses the fallen Decepticons' bodies to create Scourge, the new leader of the Terrorcons and one of the main Beast Wars antagonists. Separately, the 2003 Transformers: Armada comics features four Beast Wars-inspired characters (Rhinox, Airazor, Terrorsaur, and Cheetor) being abducted by Unicron in its final story arc. These four Beast Wars characters return later in the subsequent Energon comic series transformed as the Heralds of Unicron set to bring destruction and death in their fallen master's name.

Evidence Unicron Is Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts' Villain

Unicron - Transformers

The primary evidence for Unicron being Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' main villain is derived from a series of set photos (such as this one). Several of these images, many originally from director Steven Capale Jr.'s Instagram account, appear to show the leader of the Terrorcons carrying Unicron's symbol on its hood. As aforementioned in the original Transformers canon, Scourge was vengefully created by Unicron, meaning his appearance as the Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' big bad makes perfect sense. Provided Transformers 7 sticks to the original Transformers continuity for its Beast Wars introduction, Scourge's character and Unicron's existence go hand in hand.

Related: Why Shia LaBeouf Didn't Return As Sam Witwicky For Transformers 4

What Unicron's Role Could Be In Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Logo

Although the major plot beats are being kept tightly under wraps for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, Unicron will likely be the unifying threat that brings the Autobots and the Maximals together to battle the Terrorcons. In the Transformers canon, Unicron is why the Terrorcons become a greater threat than the sum of their parts to the Autobots, with the near-omnipotent god of chaos repurposing the fallen Terrorcons at will. With Transformers: Rise of the Beasts set to be a globe-trotting adventure as Optimus Prime travels to Peru in search of the Maximals, do not bet against Unicron rallying the Terrorcons for a final battle against the combined forces of the Maximals and Autobots in Rise of the Beasts' climax.

Why Transformers Needs To Use Unicron Now

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Aside from being a terrifying opponent and a highly compelling antagonist, Capale Jr. and company need to use Unicron now to avoid further stagnation for the Transformers cinematic franchise. All five of Michael Bay's Transformers movies heavily rely on Megatron as the film series' villain, with his survivability somehow far exceeding superior big-bads such as Sentinel Prime and Quintessa in Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Transformers: The Last Knight, respectively. In order to shake up an increasingly tired Transformers formula in the same way Bumblebee managed to do, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts needs to shed the Decepticons at long last - with the introduction of the Terrorcons suggesting Capale Jr.'s film is already on its way in this regard.

Furthermore, Unicron's presence has been teased in several not-so-subtle ways by the Transformers movie franchise, particularly throughout The Last Knight. In a bizarre twist, the Cybertronians led by Quintessa call Earth "Unicron," initially suggesting that Unicron has been retconned as the Transformers' name for the planet. The Last Knight's post-credits scene, however, rectifies this confusing comment, which is backed up by Quintessa stating that "he" doesn't like to be touched as new structures are built upon Earth. This instead points to the fact that Unicron is either Earth itself (due to his gargantuan size) or that he is hiding within Earth. As a result, Transformers 7 needs to use Unicron now after setting up his continued presence across the entirety of the Transformers movies to date and install him as the final villain the 17-year film series deserves.

Next: All 5 Upcoming Transformers Movies Explained

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