Movies - TV
Some Very Sad Kids Forced Transformers To Resurrect Optimus Prime
By WITNEY SEIBOLD
The 1986 film “The Transformers: The Movie” introduced new characters by killing off old ones. However, this would end up being traumatic for young viewers.
The beloved Optimus Prime was killed off, leaving kids everywhere upset and mourning their fallen hero. The filmmakers underestimated how much the fans liked the character.
Optimus’ voice actor Peter Cullen shared with Collider, “A lot of kids evidently had trouble with that scene, and they were not coming out of their rooms and hiding under beds [...]”
A letter campaign started following the move, forcing Hasbro to bring Optimus Prime back. Cullen came back for the two-part episode “The Return of Optimus Prime.”
The actor said, “[T]hey brought me back for three shows. The mothers of America went to the powers that be, and so they had to bring me back.”
That episode was so popular that Hasbro rebranded the franchise, making Optimus the central figure. The character is still an invaluable part of the “Transformers” universe.