Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts Has A More Stacked Cast Than You Realized
This post contains slight spoilers for "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts."
The "Transformers" film franchise currently consists of seven installments, including the recently-released "Rise of the Beasts," which aims to reinvigorate the premise by tracing back to its animated series roots. "Creed II" director Steven Caple Jr. understands the appeal of nostalgia, tied to the long-standing, lucrative Hasbro toy line in which robots can morph into other organic (or inorganic) forms. While it would be overkill to call "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" an ambitious undertaking, as the film primarily relies on rehashed franchise tropes and sanitized storytelling, it undeniably attempts to set up a grander stage for stories connected to the "Transformers" mythos.
And what better way to up the stakes than to introduce a group of fresh, yet familiar factions of robots waging a war over their home planet, Cybertron? While the latest entry does not dive too deep into Cybertronian backstories, we are privy to a conflict between two groups — the Maximals (descendants of the Autobots) and the Terrorcons (followers of the planet-eater, Unicron) — with a human named Noah Diaz involved in this age-old war that is expected to play out for quite some time.
However, these are not the only parties involved, as the Autobots, including Optimus Prime and Bumblebee, who have been heavily featured in previous "Transformers" installments, are also fighting the Terrorcons in an attempt to return to their home planet for good. This paves the way for a plethora of new characters, played by a prominent ensemble cast. Let's dive into who plays who, and how their roles factor into the grander scheme of things within the "Transformers" universe.
The humans
Humans have always been a part of "Transformers" history, going as far back as the original G1 series, where Cobra Commander (one of the primary antagonists in the "G.I.Joe" comics series) appears in disguise to mess with the Autobots. On the flip side, some humans have been integral to turning the tides of war in favor of the Autobots, including Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) and now Noah Diaz, played by actor and singer Anthony Ramos.
Noah is a struggling ex-army tech expert who does his best to provide for his family but accidentally finds himself embroiled in the Autobot/Maximal vs. Terrorcon conflict after he tries to carjack a Porsche 911 Carrera RS 3.8. Noah functions as the emotional core of the film, as he underlines the innately-human conflict between saving his planet and helping out his new robot friends. Ramos is best known for his roles as John Laurens and Philip Hamilton in the Broadway musical, "Hamilton," and he also appeared in "A Star is Born."
"Swarm" breakout star Dominique Fishback plays Elena, an artifact expert who is integral to the retrieval of the Transwarp Key, as she is the only one capable of pinpointing its location. Elena and Noah work together to accomplish this goal, once again proving that humans are more complex than they seem, capable of either destroying or saving the world with their choices. You might also know Fishback from her roles in "Judas and the Black Messiah" and "Project Power."
Other human characters in the film include Dean Scott Vazquez ( "Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan," "Mr. Robot") as the adorable, no-nonsense Kris Diaz, Noah's little brother. Then there's Tobe Nwigwe's (Netflix's "Mo") Reek, Noah's friend, who accompanies him during the carjacking stint that changes the fate of the world they inhabit.
The Autobots
Peter Cullen is back to voice the somber, heroic Optimus Prime, having voiced the character in almost every "Transformers" film, along with the original 1980s animated series. Once again, Prime needs to lead his people to battle while being well aware that setbacks and losses are inevitable, and his instinctive distrust toward humans makes for a rocky start in Noah's journey. It's impossible to picture Prime without his trusty friend Bumblebee, who remains voiceless at the moment, choosing to speak only through dramatic movie dialogues.
Among the new Autobots in Prime's team is Mirage (Pete Davidson), who infuses much-need levity into the film with genuinely funny quips and earnest emotional moments. Mirage and Noah develop a close bond, and Davidson's chemistry with Ramos is so solid that these shared moments shine brightest amid the uninspired action spectacle. Compared to other Autobots, Mirage is surprisingly more social and easygoing, and his heroism manifests in the form of sincere acts of protection. Moreover, Mirage is the one who helps Noah realize his innate potential, which plays a seminal role in the climactic battle between the Autobots and the Terrorcons. Apart from being a comic at Saturday Night Live, Davidson also recently starred in "Bodies Bodies Bodies," "The Suicide Squad," and believe it or not, "Fast X."
The rest of Prime's team comprises Arcee (voiced by YouTuber Liza Koshy), who uses her sharpshooting skills to vanquish enemies, and Stratosphere (voiced by John DiMaggio, who also portrayed Bender in "Futurama"), the Autobot who transforms into a rickety cargo plane to transport the characters to Peru. We also meet Wheeljack, voiced by Cristo Fernández, who is best known for his role as Dani Rojas in "Ted Lasso."
The Maximals
Fans of "Beast Wars: Transformers" will realize that their dreams have been crushed after watching "Rise of the Beasts," as it barely features the Beasts at all. The Maximals, who are time-traveling descendants of The Autobots, are led by the impulsively brave Optimus Primal, voiced in the film by none other than Ron Perlman. Primal, the namesake of Optimus Prime, gets the opportunity to meet his hero and team up together to fight the Terrorcons, and while Primal and his gang are present for the conflict, we have little to no idea what motivates them. Perlman is best known for his role in the "Hellboy" franchise, along with "Drive" and "Blade II."
One of the biggest names among the stacked cast is Oscar Winner Michelle Yeoh, who plays the wise Airazor, a birdlike beast who takes the first step toward helping the Autobots. Airazor acts as a bridge between the Autobots and Maximals and succeeds in bringing them together to work toward a common goal. Yeoh requires no introduction, having starred in countless films of prominence, from "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" to "Everything Everywhere All At Once."
Other Maximals include Tongayi Chirisa's ("iZombie," "Next Exit") Cheetor, who can morph into —- you guessed it — a cheetah and fight fiercely, and David Sobolov's (he voiced Gorilla Grodd in "The Flash" television series) Rhinox, an intelligent and super-strong Maximal who get quickly work his way around a crisis.
All the Maximals featured here were present during the fall of their home planet after the Terrorcons invaded it for their master, Unicron. They're also the keepers of the second fragment of the Transwarp Key, a device that allows all Transformers to travel back to Cybertron. However, in the wrong hands, this would also mean the destruction of planet Earth.
Unicron and the Terrorcons
Terrorcons are essentially a renegade faction of Decepticons who want their hands on the Transwarp Key for unspecified reasons, but they seem extremely loyal to Unicron, voiced by Colman Domingo. The planet-eater Unicron is mostly in the shadows throughout the film, throwing temper tantrums whenever he's too hungry for a planet, and ordering his minions to retrieve the Key for him. Domingo is best known for his roles in "Fear of the Walking Dead," "Candyman," and "If Beale Street Could Talk," among others.
Apart from Unicron, one of the big bads in the film is Scourge, leader of the Terrorcons, and the character is voiced by Peter Dinklage. Dinklage belted out an Emmy-winning performance as Tyrion Lannister in "Game of Thrones," and he's also played seminal roles in "X-Men: Days of Future Past" and "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri." While Scourge is at the mercy of his master, he is fiercely dedicated to his cause and will stop at nothing before claiming the Transwarp Key. Autobots, Maximals, and humans are all the same to him: obstacles in his path to glory, leading him to kill indiscriminately to achieve his goal.
Other Terrorcon minions include the ruthless Nightbird (Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, who starred in FX's "Pose") and John DiMaggio's Transit, who aids the Terrorcons in their reign of tyranny.
"Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" hit theaters on June 9, 2023.